Sickness
by Lastsyns
Summary: The Doctor is terminally ill. Can Jack and Martha save him before it is too late.?
1. Chapter 1

Something was wrong. He had known that something was wrong with him for a couple of months now. In all of his years on the run, he never remembered sleeping so much, but now he would go to bed and wake up even more tired in the morning. He had always been so restless, so when he found himself in bed for the second day in a row, he decided maybe it was time for a change. Pulling himself reluctantly out of bed he headed down to the medi-bay.

When he had first noticed something was wrong, he had ran scans on himself but the scans had shown nothing. Now he was running the same test again. He read the results and saw with no surprise that his energy was lower than it should be. What did surprise him is when he did a full body scan and saw small white marks on his brain. He had the Tardis do another scan of just his head, to verify it and the white marks continued to show.

He threw the scans to the side and picked up the ones he had done originally. Holding it up he looked closely at them and saw nothing wrong. He picked up both sets of scans and put them in a filing cabinet in the Medi-bay. He knew what the marks ment, but it wasn't possible. He was tired, that was all. He just needed a break.

Heading quickly to his room, he showered and cleaned himself up before setting the Tardis to go to Cardiff. He needed a distraction.

-DW-

Jack was busy trying to pull a baby weevil out of one of the cabinets in the morgue, without getting bit... again. Martha had found the weevil when they were out investigating rift activity and had taken to it like a mother hen. Jack had tried to explain to her that they were not pets and were dangerous and that he was the boss and was putting his foot down. All of it had fallen on deaf ears.

The familiar noise of the Tardis materializing distracted him for the briefest of moments and the weevil bit him again, and then took off into the hub. Sighing Jack pulled himself up and examined his hand. It was bleeding profusely from the three bite marks.

"Martha, catch your pet and give it to Janet, The Doctor is here." He called out.

"He has a name." She called back.

"If he bites me again, he won't have need for a name." He muttered angrily and then hissed as he rinsed off his hand and wrapped it in a bandage. Heading out into the main hub, he saw the visitor's entrance opening and the Doctor stepped in.

"That has a lock you know." Jack chastised the Doctor.

"Not a very good one. Only took me two minutes to crack it." The Doctor smiles at him. "Well I say two minutes, more like a minute and a half." He tugs on his ear and looks at Jack sheepishly. "Would have been a minute but my nose itched."

Jack watched as the Doctor took off his coat and threw it over the railing. He frowned as he noticed how the Doctor's usual suit seemed to be hanging off of him. His eyes had bags beneath them.

"When was the last time you slept?" Martha asked coming into the room.

"I sleep." The Doctor replied indignant.

"Oh, it's good to see you." She said and wrapped him in a hug and joined Jack's concern about how thin he seemed.

"Where's Mick, Mick, Mickey?" He asked happily, as he released Martha and looked around.

"Just the two of us here right now Doc," Jack responded. "Mickey had to go north to investigate Rift activity and won't be back for a couple of days and Ianto is out running errands."

"What about that Welsh girl, Gwen?"

"She just gave birth and is on maternity leave." Martha responded.

"Alright, well better be on my way. Lots to do, got a bowling match with Virginia Wolff."

"And a time machine," Martha said, taking his arm. "Stay awhile. You just got here after all and we haven't seen you for awhile."

She led him to the kitchen and sat him down at the table with Jammy Dodgers, while she made him a cup of tea. Her and Jack sat and talked about recent rift activity and artifacts that had come through that needed cataloging. But she watched with growing concern as the Doctor's eyes kept fluttering until finally his chin fell against his chest and his breathing evened out.

"That doesn't happen." Jack said taking another sip of his coffee. "I have never seen him fall asleep at the table before."

"Me either," Martha agreed, keeping her voice low. "He did look exhausted though." She stood and gently shook the Doctor. "Hey wake up, that can't be too comfortable."

The Doctor grumbled and laid his head against her stomach. Martha gently stroked his hair. "Why don't you wake up and come back to my apartment and get some proper sleep?" The Doctor nodded against her and then sat up and stretched.

"Take good care of him," Jack called after Martha as the two of them headed out of the hub. There was something seriously wrong and Jack hoped that a goodnight's sleep and a couple of days rest would cure it.

-DW-

Martha awoke suddenly as the bed was shaking and the cause of the shaking was the Doctor. She looked over at him and she realized he was having a seizure. "Oh honey," She said softly. She uncovered him and moved off the bed to give him room. It was almost three minutes before he finally stopped and she rolled him into the recovery position.

"Come on Doctor, wake up for me and then you can get some sleep." She told him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at her. "Hey, coming back." She asked him still keeping her voice low.

"What's wrong?" He moaned and squirmed a little to adjust his position.

"Nothing." She answered quickly. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." He replied. "And cold." He sat up a little and looked down to see the blankets at the bottom of the bed. "If you're going to be a blanket hog, I can sleep on the couch." He told her as he let his head fall back to the pillow and wrapped his arm around it.

Martha chuckled. "Well be quick about it."

"Too tired."

"Alright get some rest." She responded as he closed his eyes and she covered him back up. He sighed and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

-DW-

Morning came and he was up before she even stirred. Martha stretched and got out of bed, grabbing her robe and tieing it shut around her. She headed out into the living room to find the Doctor sitting at the table sipping tea.

"Morning," He said pleasantly as she entered the room. He smiled at her and she noticed that he still looked tired. He stood quickly and rushed into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with a second cup of tea. She sat down at the table across from him and took a small scalding sip before returning his greeting.

"Morning, how are you feeling?" She asked him.

"Fine," He answered looking confused.

"Since when do you have seizures." She asked him casually.

"I don't," he responded looking even more confused.

"You did last night. A full tonic clonic seizure that lasted about three minutes." She told him. "It's lucky I am a doctor, otherwise that would have been a scary thing to wake up to. As it is, it is still concerning. Especially being your friend."

"Agreed." He leaned closer to her. "Are you sure it was a seizure?"

She rolled her eyes and took his face in her hands. "Positive. I know you didn't have seizures when I traveled with you, so what has changed since then?"

"I don't know," He responded, knowing that it was partly a lie.

"Let me run some test then and see if we can determine what's causing them."

"No," The Doctor shook his head. "Are you sure you weren't dreaming."

"Positive."

He stood up, "Thank you for the tea, but I should really get going." He started to head towards the door.

"Um, Doctor. Before you leave at least take a shower and get dressed."

He looked down and realized he was still in the pajamas he borrowed the night before. "I won a sword fight in my jimjams once." He told her happily.

"Well unless you plan on another sword fight, which I wouldn't recommend. I would get dressed."

He headed into the bathroom and she heard the shower start. Reaching into her purse she pulled out her phone and called Jack.

-DW-

When they got to the hub later, Jack was doing paperwork. He had received a call from Martha, that her and the Doctor were on their way back to the Tardis after the Doctor finished his shower. Her next request broke his heart to comply with but it was for the best for the Doctor.

Feeling guilty he sat working until he heard them enter.

"Jack," The Doctor said happily.

"Hey Doc," Jack responded.

"Don't call me Doc," He narrowed his eyes at Jack. "Would love to stay and chat but there is a meteor shower happening right now on Regulus Nine?"

"Take me with you," Jack said.

"I don't have companions anymore." The Doctor replied.

"One trip," Jack pleaded.

"Get your coat." The Doctor responded and didn't miss the look Jack and Martha exchanged as the two of them left the hub. The Doctor entered the Tardis first and Jack paused outside the door.

"He is going to hate us."

"It's for the best," Martha responded and he entered the Tardis. The Doctor was leaning with his back against one of the coral and his arms were crossed. Jack closed the door behind him.

"Jack, I understand Martha wants you to come to keep an eye on me, but you are going to stay here. I will dematerialize the Tardis around you, so she at least thinks you tried. But you aren't coming." He said casually.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm dying Jack."

"Don't say that," Jack responded immediately.

"Time Lords don't have seizures. The only time they do is when there is a decline in their brain that leads to their death. If the other's were still around, I might have a chance but with just me, I am going to die."

"Let us help you." Jack pleaded.

"No, I don't want you to remember me like that. I will get worse. I will decline to the point I can't walk on my own, eat, shower or hold my own head up. I will have more seizures and more often until finally I will die."

"Why are you telling me this," Jack asked, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice.

"Because I don't want you to remember me like that and I don't want to die like that. I will run until I can't anymore."

"How much time do you have?"

"A couple of months maybe longer." He responded and stood up straight and headed to Jack. He kissed Jack softly on the forehead. "Good bye Jack." He said.

He turned and headed to the console and Jack saw the anger in his eyes when he realized the controls were locked He took out his sonic and scanned them. His eyes narrowed further when he realized that not only were they locked but they were deadlocked. "When," He hissed.

"While you were showering." Jack responded. "Martha knew something was seriously wrong and that if we let you leave you would never come back."

"Unlock them now."

"No," Jack stood his ground.

"Now Captain," The Doctor hissed again.

"I'm sorry, we can't just let you leave without trying to help you."

"Do you want a fairy tale? Should I lie to you instead? Would that give you peace" He laughed cruelly. "I'm not going to die. I am going to the meteor shower and then bowling and will be back in a few days."

"I'm not removing the chains." Jack said sadly.

"You have no right to do this." The Doctor's voice went the deathly calm of the oncoming storm. "Unlock my Tardis right now, or so help me I will make you regret being immortal."

"I would like to see you try." Jack moved to stand in front of the Doctor so that they were staring each other in the eye. The Doctor's hands curled into fist.

"Get off my Tardis," The Doctor hissed finally pointing at the doors and Jack complied.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack came storming back into the hub slamming door behind him and then pushed the desk in his office over, spilling all the contents to the floor. Still not satisfied, he tipped over the filing cabinet and then fell to the floor amongst the mess.

Martha cautiously entered. "It's okay to cry." She told Jack.

"I'm too angry to cry. He's dying and doesn't want our help." Jack replied.

"How do you know he's dying?" Martha asked.

"He told me. Told me he was going to deteriorate until he couldn't take care of himself, or hold his own head up and then he was going to die. Said there might be a chance if his own people were around." Jack huffed. "Then he kicked me off the Tardis when I refused to unlock it."

"I'll go talk to him." Martha replied standing up.

"Good luck," Jack mumbled before kicking out at the desk.

-DW-

Martha entered the Tardis slowly, in case the Doctor was still mad. But as she entered she saw him laying curled up on the pilot seat with his coat draped over him and just his head sticking out. She had come across him like this countless times on their travels and was always amazed how he didn't fall off.

"I don't want you on here." The Doctor said into the seat, making his voice sound muffled.

"I thought you were asleep." Martha said casually moving forward.

"Not asleep just resting. Can't bloody well do anything else since you and Jack decided to keep me prisoner here." He looked at her with disgust before burying his head again.

"We are doing what is best for you. You can't run around in space and time if you are having seizures. What happens if you have one in a dangerous situation?" Martha replied and then jumped back as the Doctor sat up suddenly.

"What is best." He said the words slowly.

"I am glad you are doing what you think is best, but did you ever think for a moment about what I want? I am dying Martha. I am dying from a disease that if my people were still around, they might be able to cure. At least let me die with my dignity and not stuck in a bloody bed with a feeding tube shoved down my throat, oxygen tubes, IVs and a catheter, until one of you gets the courage to pull the plug. After everything I have done, I am at least owed this."

"If your people could have found a cure, then you have to let us at least try." Martha said softly. "Please stick around and let us try to help you."

"Unlock my Tardis and I'll consider it."

"I can't, only Jack knows how."

"Then you might as well give me a handful of aspirin now." He laid down and covered his head.

"Don't say that." Martha told him.

"Leave," He responded.

"Are you going to kill yourself if I do?"

He sighed. "No."

"Are you sure? Because I don't want to come back and find you dead."

"I just want to sleep Martha. I'm too tired to get up and go to bed, let alone get aspirin."

"I could have Jack carry you to bed at least then you would be comfortable."

"I don't want to see that man." He hissed and then his tone changed. "Go get Jack."

He expected Martha to leave the Tardis and planned on locking it once she did. To his disappointment, she pulled out her cell phone and called Jack. "Can you come help the Doctor to bed?" She asked.

"Are you sure he wants me too?" Jack asked her.

"No, but he wants to go to bed and is having trouble getting up." She responded.

"I'll be there in a minute," Jack said hanging up the phone. The Doctor sat up on the seat, his plan ruined as he waited for Jack. Since he had no choice anyways, bed sounded better than sleeping on the pilot seat, and he yawned as he thought of crawling beneath the blankets.

"Come on, I'll help you to your room." Jack said offering his hand. The Doctor took it and stood. He threw his coat over the nearest railing and then leaning heavily on Jack, they went to his room. Jack helped him remove his jacket and shirt before having him sit down and removed his shoes.

"What's with the pink on your black socks?" He asked.

"It helps me match them and it even tells me what day of the week I am suppose to wear the pair of socks." He lifted his foot and wiggled it at Jack, showing the word Friday clearly written on the bottom. Jack chuckled despite himself and removed his socks before helping the Doctor get settled under the blankets. "Goodnight Doc." He said but the Doctor was already asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

He was laying in his bed, with his head covered. He had barely moved since Jack had helped him into bed earlier in the day, but when he felt his stomach flip and his mouth started to water, he hurried out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet, before emptying the contents of his stomach.

After he finished and had wiped his mouth he leaned back against the bathroom wall still, sitting on the floor and closed his eyes. If this was just the beginning stages of it, he didn't want to go through the rest. He stood up and headed out slowly out of his room and back down to the Medi-bay. Upon arriving he went straight to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a small packet of aspirin, he slipped it into his pants pocket and then as he headed through the control room, he grabbed his coat.

Wearing only his coat and trousers, he exited the Tardis and closed the doors tightly behind him. The day was cold but felt good on his cool skin as he walked barefoot towards the railing overlooking the water. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the camera turn and knew somebody was watching him. He made it slowly over to the railing and leaned against it, watching the waves lap against the cement.

Sure enough a few minutes later, Jack came and leaned on the railing next to him, with his back turned to the water.

"Are you going to unlock the Tardis?" He asked Jack though he knew the answer before the question was even out of his mouth.

"No." Jack responded.

"I don't want to die like this."

"Then don't. We have alien technology that has come through the rift. Let us at least try to help you."

"And when you see that you can't?"

"Then I'll help you to die with dignity." Jack said his voice low.

He turned to look at Jack and met Jack's eyes and saw the sadness and tears that filled them. "Could you really do that?" He asked him.

"Yes," Jack turned away as the tears began to fall. He gently took Jack's chin in his hand and turned Jack's face back towards him. He leaned forward and gently kissed Jack on the cheek and that was all it took. Jack turned and wrapped his arms around him and pressed his face to the Doctor's bare chest. He doesn't return the hug but gently brushes Jack's hair with his fingers.

Finally Jack pulled back and wiped his face. "I'm sorry." He said sheepishly.

"I'll give you a month." The Doctor replied.

"What?"

"One month, to find a way to help me." He said again. "A month should give you enough time to realize it isn't possible and I should still be well enough to die the way I want to. The only condition is you unlock my Tardis."

"So you can take off in the middle of the night?" Jack asked and the Doctor smirked and looked slightly guilty. Jack turned and started to head towards the hub and the Doctor followed him. Martha was waiting in the visitor center.

"We have a month," Jack told her and kept walking into the hub as the Doctor stopped.

"Thank you." Martha told him.

"You didn't really give me a choice about staying here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the aspirin and handed it to her. She looked at it wide eyed and he looked away as he followed Jack into the hub.

"You weren't going to take these," Martha stated, hurrying after him.

"No," He replied not slowing his pace.

"Then why did you have them?"

"To prove to myself I was still in control." He smiled as Ianto appeared holding two cups." Ah tea, thank you Ianto." He said taking one of the steaming cup from him. He took a sip and then sat it down on the table, before taking off his coat and throwing it over the back of the couch. He sat down and picked up the tea again. He didn't know how but Ianto always seemed to know just how he liked his tea.

Martha took the second cup and sat down beside him. "You have given us a month."

"Yes."

"Then during that month, I want you to promise me that you won't try to end it, no matter how difficult it gets."

"As long as you agree to unlock my Tardis and let me leave when the month is over." He looked over at her and she nodded.

"Secondly, you have to be honest with me and tell me everything you know about what is happening to you. Also you have to agree to let me run test on you and help me determine if the results are normal."

"I'll give you access to the medical lab on the Tardis. It has my complete records since I stole her."

"You stole the Tardis?" Martha asked momentarily distracted.

"Borrowed with every intent of returning." He clarified. "A little late for that now."

Martha chuckled despite herself. "Okay besides being overly tired and having seizures, what symptoms do you have so far?"

"Nausea," He replied instantly.

"Is that it?"

"Hmm, that I know of."

"Okay, I am going to go get the MRI hooked up." She stood up.

"All my recent head and body scans are in the top drawer of the filing cabinet, in the medi-bay. I did a complete scan right before I landed here." He turned and laid down on the couch, stretching out. "All of my medical information is in the Tardis main frame with back ups in the cabinet. Help yourself."

"And what are you going to do while I am gone?" She asked him.

"Lay here and drink my tea." He replied as he pulled his coat over himself. Martha sighed and left the room, coming back a moment later with a blanket and a book. She took his coat and threw the blanket over him instead.

"Get some rest I'll be back in a little while." She said, handing him the book. He smiled and settled down to read.


	4. Chapter 4

_Decided this needed a relationship... Sorry to anybody who doesn't like the Doctor and Jack pairings... Actually I'm really not, I love them. _

* * *

Inside the medi-bay Martha found the filing cabinet with the printouts easily enough, and the x rays were clear and easy to ready. The only problem was that all of the printed text was in Gallifreyan and she wasn't sure which x-rays were taken when without consulting the Tardis. But as she pulled out the ones of just his head she sighed.

"Oh, Doctor," She said softly to herself as she observed the same marks that had worried him. Settling down in front of one of the screens she began to read over his most recent medical information, making notes as she went.

-DW-

Jack straightened up the furniture in his office and began to pick up the paperwork and artifacts scattered everywhere. But when Ianto came into check on him, he still hadn't made much progress. He was sitting on the floor by his desk, staring at the wall behind it.

"Jack," Ianto said softly and Jack didn't answer. Ianto went around the desk and bent down and touched Jack on the arm. Jack jumped and looked at Ianto in surprise.

"Ianto, I didn't hear you come in," He exclaimed as he started to gather the papers up.

"Want some help?" Ianto asked him.

"No, I've got it." Jack replied.

"Go I'll clean it up." Ianto said softly and Jack took he has as Ianto pulled him to his feet. He looked at Ianto briefly as he headed out of his office.

-DW-

He was desperately trying to stay awake but losing the fight. In all of his 900 plus years he couldn't remember being afraid to sleep, but now realizing he may only have a month left the thought terrified him. He had stood face to face with death before but never had it loomed so closely. He had always been willing to die for others but he found it very different to be dying from a disease. At least when he had chosen to die to save someone it had been his choice.

He was beginning to hope that he was wrong. That he had misread the X-rays and was just exhausted and nothing was wrong with him that a few days of sleep wouldn't fix. But the seizure didn't lie. He sat up and threw the blanket off to the side as he shook his head and then rubbed his face. He wished he hadn't sent Martha to the Tardis for his medical information. At least talking about his medical history would have been a distraction. He leaned over and took a sip of his tea and made a face when he realized it had gone cold. He stood up, with the intention of refreshing it but promptly fell back onto the couch.

He felt helpless and he hated that feeling. Normally that was when he took control of the situation and was at his most dangerous and became known as the Oncoming Storm, but now he doubted he could scare a kitten, much less a Dalek. He was starting to panic as he fought to stay awake and was relieved when he heard footsteps approaching and was even more relieved to see it was Jack, with a fresh cup of tea.

"Jack," He exclaimed happily, taking the tea and greedily drinking it.

"Not still mad at me," Jack asked slightly confused.

He shrugged. "I could be, but it won't get you to unlock the Tardis will it?" Jack shook his head no. He looked down at the now empty cup and sat it down on the table. Jack sat down on the couch next to him and took a long drink of his coffee before casually lifting his arm, inviting the Doctor to sit with him. To Jack's surprise the Doctor leaned into him and rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

It had been a long time since he had held the Doctor. The two of them had shared more than one night in front of the telly on the Tardis, watching movies, as Rose slept. Jack couldn't remember ever actually watching the movie as he held the Doctor as he slept peacefully from the nightmares that had plagued him most of his life. It had always been platonic then, just a way for him to sleep and Jack was wondering if it would ever change.

Then the gamestation happened and everything changed. The Doctor abandoned him and Jack spent the rest of his time try to find the Doctor again. One glorious day, he did. But once again fate was against them and the year that never was changed him. This time Jack walked away, much to the Doctor's surprise. It wasn't until recently that he began to see the Doctor more often again.

It had been a month since his last visit when he showed up this time but he had come to see Jack a few times before that. He never showed any emotion about Rose and leaving her behind and he never stayed long enough for Jack to see him sleep or to hold him as he desperately longed to.

"You we're the one who was suppose to be around longer." Jack sighed.

"I know." The Doctor whispered. Carefully he wrapped his arm tighter around the Doctor as he shivered against him.

"You cold?" Jack asked him.

"No," The Doctor responded.

"You can sleep if you need to." Jack said softly. "I don't mind."

"I don't want to sleep." The Doctor replied as he yawned and desperately tried to keep his eyes open. He lost the fight quickly though as Jack recovered him with the blanket and then continued to hold him tight. With one last effort, the darkness overtook him.

-DW-

Several hours passed before Martha returned from the Tardis. During that time Jack just sat there holding the Doctor as he slept peacefully in his arms. He had his eyes closed and for just a moment he could pretend that the Doctor had returned to him because he had missed Jack as well and not just because he was sick.

He opened his eyes as he felt a blanket thrown over him. "Sorry," Martha whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping," Jack responded.

"How long has he been asleep?"

"A few hours." Jack kissed the Doctor on the forehead and the Doctor scowled before his face relaxed again. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I have to believe he is," Martha replied, "But I'll be honest Jack, it doesn't look good and unless we can convince him to stay longer, I don't think he will make it. A month doesn't seem like enough time."

"Then I won't unlock the Tardis." Jack mumbled.

"Then I won't let you treat me." The Doctor mumbled back.

"How long have you been awake?" Martha asked.

"A while. Jack's comfortable." He patted Jack's chest and Jack chuckled. He sat up and stretched. "Did you find the information you needed?" He asked Martha.

"Yes, and the Tardis helped me to translate it, but I still want to run a few test."

"Such as."

"Blood," She stated and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Seems archaic," He grumbled.

"Just because you don't like people taking your blood doesn't mean it is archaic. There are a lot of test I can run."

"Not like I have much of a choice."

"Like you just stated, you could refuse treatment." Jack stated.

"And Martha, what happens then." He asked her, knowing full well the answer.

"The Tardis remains locked and I will abide by your choice until which time I will have you deemed mentally incompetent. Then I will treat you."

"See no choice." He stated again.


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor reluctantly followed Martha down to the autopsy room. Martha started on her normal routine and checked his weight, eyes, ears and listened to his hearts. Three times she tried to check his temperature and his mumbles about it being archaic messed with the results. Finally getting fed up with him, she threatened to take his temperature the hard way, if he didn't shush.

"I'd like to see you try," he mumbled.

"I'll get Jack to do it," she replied and he quickly went quiet. Finally she pulled out the needle and two tubes to take his blood. He watched her with contempt as she found a vein and tied the tourniquet around his arm. As she cleaned the area and then approached him with the needle he opened his mouth.

"See I am fine." He grinned at her.

"You're a stone underweight, you body temperature is higher than normal and your left heart is slower than your right." She commented as she jabbed him.

"Ow, you did that on purpose" he complained.

"You're not fine," She replied casually as she filled the two tubes and then withdrew the needle, pressing a piece of cotton in its place. "How can you think you are fine?"

"Everyone dies Martha."

"But it doesn't have to be now." She responded with tears in her eyes.

"Why not? I'm not happy with the reason why Martha, but I should have died so many times throughout the years and I lived. I lived Martha." He said softly taking her face in his hand and rubbing a tear away with his thumb. "I outlived many species, friends and enemies alike. My own people Martha, no man should outlive his children."

"I am not afraid to die. I have never been afraid to die. I don't know if there is something out there. Many cultures believe there is. Death the next great adventure." He smirked.

"Not like this. Please give me longer than a month and let me help you." She begged him and he kissed her softly on the head as he got down off of the table.

"Are we done?" He asked.

"For now," Martha responded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. He gave her one last glance as he headed back up the stairs.

"Why lie to her?" Jack asked as he rounded the corner.

"I didn't."

"It's okay to be afraid." Jack embraced him tightly and he laid his head against Jack and wrapped his arms tightly around him returning the hug.

"Not for a Time Lord." He whispered.

Later that night, he lay next to Jack, in his bed in the hub. Martha had wanted him to go back to her place, in case he had another seizure, but Jack insisted he could handle it. Jack was sleeping fitfully and the Doctor laid there, longing to get on his TARDIS and flee. As he watched Jack sleep, he let the tears he had been holding back start running silently down his cheeks. The tears began to fall faster and he sobbed into his pillow as his body shook.

He didn't hear Jack wake up but felt his arms pulling him against his chest again and holding him tightly as he cried. He clung to Jack and Jack moved one hand to gently stroke his hair as the other arm held him tightly still. To his relief Jack didn't say anything, but held him until he had cried himself to sleep.

-DW-

After the Doctor had fallen asleep again, Jack laid there and held him tightly for awhile, before gently easing him back onto the bed. The Time Lord grabbed the pillow and held it tightly as Jack made his way upstairs in to the hub. He saw a light coming from the autopsy room and shook his head. Heading to the kitchen he made a cup of tea and another of coffee before going into see Martha working away on the computer.

"You're suppose to be off?" He commented as he handed her the cup of tea.

"I couldn't sleep." She replied taking it gratefully and taking a sip. "I only have a month to figure this out." She turned back to the computer before turning her chair to the microscope set up next to it.

"If you wear yourself out, you won't be any help to him."

"And if he leaves what help will I be?" She asked angrily.

"I could always not unlock the TARDIS at the end of the month." Jack said looking towards the door.

"He would never forgive us." Martha sighed.

"But at least he might live long enough to understand." Jack commented.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor woke up feeling nauseous again and barely made it to the bathroom before emptying the contents of his stomach. As he bent over the toilet he thought for a second, that this is what it must feel like to be pregnant. He stood up and headed into the shower.

After his shower, he felt more awake but still felt sick. He stared at himself in the mirror for a moment. His eyes looked sunken and he could see the bags beneath them, his hair was long and needed to be cut, he hadn't shaved for a while and there was stubble on his chin. He realized he didn't care as he headed into the room to get dressed. He pulled on his trousers and an undershirt before heading barefoot towards the TARDIS.

"Morning," Ianto said as he entered the room. "I'll get you a cup of tea."

"Not now," he muttered as he headed into the console room. He headed over to the controls and after running a comforting hand across them, began to fight to undo Jack's work.

-DW-

"He looks horrible," Ianto told Jack as he entered his office, a few hours later.

"He's sick, how is he suppose to look?" Jack inquired, looking up at the young Welshman. Ianto shrugged. Jack sighed and then stood. "I should probably go check on him."

"He is in the TARDIS." Ianto informed as Jack left the room. Jack headed straight for the box and opened it to find the Doctor working underneath the console. Bits and pieces of the controls were strewn about.

"Whatcha doing?" Jack asked playfully.

"Trying to get your deadlocks off so I can leave." The Doctor admitted.

"I would like to see you try I put four on there."

"Funny how I have found six so far then." The Doctor replied and then grumbled. "Seven." He pulled himself out of the controls and sat up. "Couldn't just put them on the pieces I need?"

"You're too smart for that. Like I see you have all ready replaced the hand break." Jack nodded to the old hand break on the floor with the deadlocked chain still around it. The Doctor smiled happily.

"That only took me an hour. You're losing your touch. Besides you didn't have time to do all this while I was in the shower."

"You're right, I finished them last night. I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could Martha," The Doctor commented as Martha came into the room from the corridors.

"What about this one?" She asked him, handing him a pill bottle.

"Nope, I can't take that one either," He said handing it back.

"And what are you up to Martha?" Jack asked.

"I am trying to find a nausea medicine he can take, and removing everything he can't take from the cabinet." She said heading away again.

Jack turned to the Doctor with a cheeky grin as the Doctor prepared to work on the controls again. "When you finish removing the dead locked pieces, you should figure out what's missing."

"Tell me you didn't remove anything?" The Doctor looked at him horrified.

"You tell me," Jack responded as he left the Doctor to his work. As he walked off the TARDIS he heard the Doctor muttering under his breath.

-DW-

The next two weeks passed without incident. The Doctor was still sleeping an abnormal amount and unable to keep hardly anything down. He had given up on trying to unlock the TARDIS, as Jack had taken to adding new locks and chains every time he managed to get one off. He was laying in bed with his eyes closed and a pounding headache. He had sent Jack away as every comforting word felt as though Jack was screaming at him and he flinched from Jack's touch.

Martha entered the room as silently as possible but her footsteps thudded through his head. "Take these," she whispered pressing two pills into his hand.

"I hope it's aspirin." He whimpered as he opened his eyes. The glare on Martha's face instantly made him feel guilty. "Sorry."

"You better be. I am trying to help you not kill you." She scolded him loudly.

He took the pills and swallowed them and then drank a small sip of water from the glass on his bedside. His stomach instantly flipped and he gagged. He lost the struggle to keep the pills down and spat them on the carpet in defeat. Martha sighed and took the all ready prepared syringe out.

"I was trying to avoid this," She said. "It will help your headache but could make your nausea worse."

"I don't care." He whispered. She gently gave him the shot and then left the room returning a short time later with an IV and IV stand. He groaned as she placed the needle into his hand and set the IV.

"I don't like that." He complained as she taped the needle in place.

"Tough, you're getting dehydrated." Martha responded without sympathy. "I'll be back to check on you soon. The IV better still be in."

"Yes ma'am," he responded sarcastically closing his eyes again.

"You'll start to feel better soon." Martha promised him.

"What's the point? Jack's not going to unlock the TARDIS and even if he does, I'll fly somewhere and probably end up falling asleep on them." He opened his eyes a crack to see her paused in the doorway. "I just wanted to die on my terms Martha."

"Now maybe you won't have to." She turned off the light and closed the door behind her.

-DW-

After she left the Doctor, Martha headed straight to the lab off the autopsy room again. She had been spending all of her time there the last two weeks. Her work was spread out across the desk and his most recent brain scans hung on the wall. While there were no new white marks the ones he had looked slightly larger. Not enough to be making him so sick. Martha was convinced that something else was going on with him, but regardless of his promise to answer her questions, he never offered her more information to make her job easier.

It worried her that he seemed to be giving up so soon into the fight to save his life.


	7. Chapter 7

He was still laying on the bed, when Jack entered the room. His headache was down to a dull throb and the sound of Jack's footsteps no longer pounded against his head.

"That's not going to do you any good laying there." Jack commented as he entered. The Doctor had removed the IV from his hand almost as soon as Martha had left the room.

"I don't like it," he pouted.

"It doesn't matter. You promised a month." Jack picked up the IV and laid it off to the side. "You also said you would help us, but so far, the last couple of days all you have done is mope. Martha is working herself to the point of exhaustion to try to save your life. The least you could do is show some gratitude and leave the IV in."

"It doesn't matter at this point Jack."

"If you keep acting like this, then no, no it wont." Jack responded. "Now get up, get dressed and you and I are going to have some lunch."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm not asking." Jack snipped.

He decided to try a different approach. "I don't want to throw up and we haven't found a nausea pill that works for me yet."

"Still not caring." Jack responded as he pulled out a pair of trousers and a t shirt.

"I don't like throwing up."

"I don't know anyone who does." Jack walked back over to the bed and pulled the blankets to the floor. "Do you want to get up now, or do I have to drag you out of bed and to the kitchen?"

He sighed and sat up and took the clothes Jack offered him. He expected Jack to leave as he got dressed but Jack stood there and watched him with his arms crossed. "Why are you angry with me?"

"Why do you think? First you give us a time limit and then you give up before we're even half way there." Jack glared at him as he pulled the shirt over his head. "Follow me." He ordered the Doctor as he left the room. "Oh and if you think you're going back to bed as soon as I step out of the room, know that I won't think twice about throwing you over my shoulder and bringing you with me."

He slowly followed Jack out of his bedroom and up the stairs to the small kitchen. He sat down at the table as Jack grabbed a cup off the counter and brought it over to him. He took the tea from Jack. Taking a small sip he made a face when he realized it was almost cold.

"Well if you would have got up here sooner it would be warm." Jack offered him no sympathy. "Here take these."

The Doctor held out his hand and Jack dropped a small handful of pills into it. He looked at the pills in his hand. One was a nausea pill they hadn't tried yet, two were vitamins, a small blue one for pain. The last he took out of his hand and sat on the table.

"Martha said to make sure you took them all.

"I don't need that one," he replied trying to hide his irritation, "it won't help."

"I am not going to go and wake Martha to make sure you take the pill. She was up all night in the TARDIS making notes and making sure she got the ones she wanted. Now take it or I will make sure you take it." Jack threatened.

Realizing he had pushed Jack to far he picked up the pill again. He eyed it. He wondered if Jack knew what the pills were and that the one he refused to take was an antidepressant. He put the pills in his mouth and took a drink of the cold tea. He made a face as he swallowed.

"Open, I want to make sure you took them all." Jack said and he opened his mouth. "Good, now tomorrow if you get up sooner, you can have a hot tea as you take your pills." Jack went back over to the counter and returned a moment later with a small cup of broth. The broth still had steam rising off of it. "Drink that and I don't want to hear one word about you not being hungry. If you need to throw up you know where the bathroom is." Jack stated plainly as he turned and left the room. "If you need me I will be in my office." And with that he disappeared.

-DW-

Jack was seething as he returned to his office and tried to focus on his work. To not be able to cure himself was one thing, to give up was something entirely different. When he had gone to talk Martha into getting some rest earlier in the day, he had listened to her concerns that the Doctor was giving up. He had laughed them off at first saying that he was just tired. But as he tried to pull the Time Lord out of bed he had realized Martha was right.

The Doctor didn't seem to care whether or not he lived anymore and Jack wasn't going to just let him waste away without a fight. He was going to save the Doctor's life, even if he drove him away in the process.


	8. Chapter 8

After calming down, Jack returned to the kitchen to check on the Time Lord. The kitchen was empty and the cup of broth was empty. Worried he checked the TARDIS, their room, the Autopsy room and then finally the camera's. The Doctor was sitting outside of the cells watching Janet and the little weevil.

Slowly Jack crept down the stairs. He could clearly hear him talking to them.

"You're prisoners too?" He asked.

"You are not a prisoner," Jack said as he entered the room.

"I am too your damn prisoner. My TARDIS is locked up. I can't leave this building. I have to eat if you tell me to eat. Even though all I do is get sick."

"Doctor.." Jack began.

"Go to hell. All of you go to hell." The Doctor responded, his voice raising to the point that he was yelling. "I should have let the Daleks destroy this planet long ago."

"I'll get Martha," Ianto says from behind him.

"I don't need her. What the hell is she doing to do for me? Try to make me better. Save the last of the Time Lords? Maybe I don't want to be saved." He tried to stand up and fell back against the wall. "I don't want to be saved." He yelled at Jack.

"Don't say that." Jack said sadly as the Doctor tensed up.

"He's seizing." Martha rushed past Jack and moved the Doctor away from the wall. She took off her white coat and put it under his head as the Doctor started to convulse. The seizure lasted almost three minutes before he lay still.

"There you go, that wasn't so bad." Martha told him softly as the seizure ended and she tilted his head back. He gasped in air. "All right now, open your eyes and let me have a look at you." Martha carefully rolled him over into the recovery position. She hated leaving him on the hard floor.

He showed no signs that he was coming around for several more moments. Finally he reached up and grabbed the coat and pulled it holding it tightly as he sighed.

"Waking up?"

"No," he mumbled, turning over away from her.

"You can't sleep down here," Martha chuckled.

"I'm comfortable," he argued. "Now shush."

"Come on," Jack stepped and picked the Doctor up in his arms. "Let's get you to bed." The Doctor didn't respond as a light snore filled the cells. Jack carried him to their bed. Martha followed and tutted when she saw the IV bag was still almost full. She took it and left the room returning a short time later with a fresh on. Setting it up she took his arm and inserted the canola further up. Hoping this time he would leave it in.

As soon as she laid his hand on the bed though, his other hand reached over to find out what she had done. "Leave it in this time." She scolded as she slapped his hand.

"I don't like it." he whined.

"It will make you feel better. You want to feel better right." Martha asked.

"Yeah."

"Then leave it in." She laughed as she slapped his hand gently a second time.

"Okay," he mumbled. His breathing evened out again. She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his hair as she turned to Jack.

"He didn't mean what he was yelling in the cells."

"How do you know?" Jack asked as he collapsed backward in to his armchair.

"He was about to seize. We can't take what he yelled seriously." She responded.

"He's getting worse."

"He is," she agreed. "And he will continue to get worse until, either we figure out how to save him, or he figures out how to save himself."

"Or he dies." Jack said softly.

"No, that isn't going to happen. We will figure it out." She said. "I need more information first and his help. But I know we can get it."

"And what if we can't?" Jack asked again, feeling helpless.

"I can't think that way." Martha answered. "I have to think there is a way to save him. Later today or tomorrow, I want to get his permission to do a lumbar puncture."

"He isn't going to like that."

"No, but he hasn't liked anything so far." She agreed. "I have to look beyond what he likes and move to what will help him. I can't be his friend at the moment, I have to be his doctor." She stood. "Did he take all the pills I gave you?"

"Yeah, he tried to pick one out, just like you thought he would." Jack stated.

"I'm not depressed." The Doctor mumbled.

"You're suppose to be sleeping." Jack responded.

"I was but with you two talking it is hard to sleep." He pulled the pillow over his head and then pulled up the blanket. Burying himself so that just the tips of his hair remained sticking out of the pile. "You can do the procedure tomorrow Martha." His muffled voice came from beneath the pile. "But I will have to walk you through it first. It will be a little different then on a human."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I might decide to hide from you first." He admitted. The blankets shifted again and the IV fell out of them. He pulled the blankets tighter to himself as Jack chuckled and Martha groaned.


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor awoke early the following morning. He groaned and ran his hands over his face as he remembered what he had agreed to yesterday. At the time he just wanted them to be quiet so that he could get some sleep. But he couldn't back down now. If he ran and hid he would just be putting off the inevitable. He pulled the pillow tighter to him and felt Jack shift in the bed. Jack's strong arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him close, so his back was rested against Jack's chest. Jack wrapped his leg across the Doctors, successfully trapping him. Jack kissed the Doctor on the head before a snore indicated that he was still asleep. The Doctor giggled to himself. He lay there content in Jack's arms, letting the warmth of Jack calm him.

When Jack finally rolled over again, he stood up and stretched heading to the shower. He planned on having Jack mark the place on his back where Martha needed to insert the needle. He shuddered at the thought of it and then stepped under the shower. After washing, he dried off and shaved, before exiting the bathroom, still naked. Jack was coming back in to the room carrying two cups and he saw the look of lust in Jack's eyes as his eyes examined the Doctor's body. He sat down on the bed and pulled the blanket over his lap, before accepting the cup of tea and the small bag of pills that Jack pulled out of his pocket. He noted that there was only the vitamins and the nausea pill today.

He took them as Jack sat down on the edge of the bed next to him, and crossed his legs.

"Did you sleep okay?" Jack asked.

"Fine," he replied.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I wish Martha would get here, so we can get this over with." He laid his head on Jack's shoulder and felt Jack tense. He kissed Jack on the neck. "I need you to mark my back so I don't have to explain it to her."

"Okay," Jack squeaked.

"Problem? If so I can get her to, or Ianto."

"No, no problem," Jack said quickly. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Jack and licked Jack's neck. Jack's breath caught as the Doctor looked at him.

"Your hormones are high." He said matter of factly.

"What do you expect?" Jack scoffed. "Your sitting naked on my bed and kissing and licking my neck."

"I was seeing if there was something wrong and you've seen me naked before."

"Not on my bed." Jack responded and the Doctor shook his head.

"Humans have no control." He stood up letting the blanket fall and pulled on his trousers before heading up the stairs and coming back a few minutes later with a chair and a black marker. He handed the marker to Jack and then straddled the chair. He leaned forward and grabbed the back of the chair, while arching his spine slightly. He let go with one and hand and pointed to a spot on his back. "Mark where my hand is." He instructed Jack.

He felt Jack's lips press against his spine first, before the marker. Jack made a dot and then circled it just in case. "That it?" Jack asked him.

"Yeah." He responded as he relaxed again and turned around to sit correctly on the chair. "Now Martha gets to torture me."

-DW-

He had waited anxiously for Martha to get to work that day. Every other day Martha seemed to arrive early but today she had taken her time. He had been pacing Jack's office, before Jack told him to find something else to do. He headed down to the TARDIS and was on his back removing a deadlock chain, when he heard footsteps. Looking up he was relieved as well as unhappy to see that it was Martha.

"How are you feeling today?" She asked sitting down in the pilot seat as he returned to his work.

"I kept down toast this morning." he responded.

"That's good." She said happily. "Ready to get this over with? Jack says you were driving him crazy with your pacing this morning."

"In just one..." He pulled and the chain came off in his hands. "Got it." He held up the chain for Martha to see.

"How many does that make?" Jack asked, announcing his presences, as he came over to give the Doctor a hand up.

"Twenty."

"Good haven't found the rest then." Jack smirked. The Doctor had been reaching for Jack's hand but with that he placed his hand on the ground and pushed himself up.

"Ready Martha," He asked as he exited the TARDIS and went down to the autopsy room. He glared at the instruments that Martha had laid out near the bed. He let her weigh him and check his temperature, eyes, ears and hearts again while sitting in the office chair, before he took off his shirt and climbed up on the table.

"You see the dot in the middle of the circle. That is where you need to insert the needle." He explained.

"It's higher than on a human." Martha acknowledged. "Is the rest the same?"

"About, the give will be a little bit harder, so you may have to use more pressure."

"Are you ready?"

"No, but I don't have a choice."

"You have a choice and you agreed I could do this." Martha sighed. "Do you want to stay sitting up or do you want to lay down."

"I'll sit up."

"Do you want me to get Jack to hold your hand?" She asked and he barely nodded his head. "While I get him, you go use the bathroom."

He went to the bathroom, like she instructed and when he returned he climbed up on to the table again and took Jack's hand. He leaned forward and held the position as she cleaned his back.

"Alright, I am going to numb the area a little first." She told him. She carefully numbed his back. "Now I need you to remain perfectly still during this next part." He felt the pinch of the needle entering his back again. He closed his eyes and Jack gently caressed his hand with his thumb. It seemed like a while before Martha withdrew the needle again and placed a small bandage over the mark.

"There we go all done." She said. "Now I want you to drink plenty of fluids and relax for the next two hours. No working on the TARDIS. Do you understand."

"Yes," He grumbled.

"Jack I expect you to make sure he listens." Martha said.

"And where will you be?" Jack asked indignantly.

"I am going over to the unit base. They have better computers to analyze the spinal fluid." She responded as she retrieved her coat and put it on.

"You could use the TARDIS," The Doctor said, as he turned around to lay down.

"I would feel more comfortable using UNIT's, so I don't have to learn how they work. I will use the TARDIS later to run the DATA with your help. Now get some rest."

"All I do anymore is rest."

"You also complain a lot." Martha kissed him on the cheek. "If you helped me half as much as you complained, I am sure we could solve this. Think about that." She straightened up. "I'll be back and I mean it, when I said you better rest."

"Yes Ma'am," he saluted as Jack squeezed his other hand.

"I could help you relax," Jack flirted.

"Stop it." He looked at Jack and saw the fear, rather then lust in Jack's eyes. He turned his gaze back to the ceiling.


	10. Chapter 10

_With this chapter the story moves to a Mature Rating. You have been warned. _

* * *

After resting for a little while with his eyes closed, he heard Jack get up and leave the room. He waited for a little longer before he stood up himself and pulled his shirt on. His back was still a little sore from where Martha had inserted the needle, but it wasn't anything he couldn't ignore. He walked out of the room and through the hub. He could hear Jack up in his office, he was on the phone arguing with someone. He ignored him as he went to his TARDIS and went straight through the console room to the sickbay.

He smiled as he saw the TARDIS had put the door to the science lab at one end of the sickbay, near the lab. He went to the lab and sat down on the stool. The TARDIS hummed at him.

"I'm fine." He told her as he pulled out a syringe and tourniquet. Flexing his arm, he found a vein and then used his teeth to help him pull the top of the syringe off. He sat it down for a moment and then wrapped the plastic tourniquet around his arm and pulled it tigh with his teeth as well. Still holding it in his teeth, he cleaned his arm, before inserting the needle into his arm and drawing blood. He sat the syringe down and then released the hold with his teeth and removed the tourniquet. He watched the blood gather on his arm. Picking up a piece of gauze he tapped it in place. Pulling his glasses out of the drawer, he put them on and picked up the syringe. As he separated it into three vials and placed the vials into the centrifuge, he talked to the TARDIS.

"I need a full MRI and CT scan done on my head. I want you to focus in on the parts with inactivity. I also need a full analysis of the growth and an estimation of future growth." He put a drop of blood on a slide and put it under the microscope before turning to look at the two screens set up in the lab. Rather than the information he asked for the TARDIS was showing him indications that he was getting dehydrated.

"That's not the information I asked for," he scoffed and then tried to change the screen. The information remained.

"Come on sexy," he purred. "Show me my scans." The screens turned off as well as the other equipment around him.

"Fine," he huffed and went back out into the sickbay. He pulled out an IV stand and a fresh IV. Inserting the needle into a vein a little higher on his arm, so he could continue to work easily, he set the IV to a slow drip.

"Happy?" he asked and she put the scans up on the screen. He returned to the lab and looked at both screens. One showed the current growth and the other showed estimated future growth.

"Run the second one again." He said slightly panicking. The screen flicked off for a moment and then when it came back on it showed the same information. "That can't be right."

He pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil and set to work doing the calculations himself. He was completely immersed in the work and jumped when he heard a voice behind him.

"There you are I was starting to get worried." Jack said, then placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder when he realized that he had startled him. "Easy, I was just checking on you and I brought you some tea."

He took the cup from Jack and took a small sip, before setting it down on the table and leaning into Jack. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jack's waist and buried his face. Jack stood their confused and gently stroked the Time Lord's hair. "What's the matter?" Jack asked.

"I had the TARDIS run scans and estimate the current spread of the marks on my brain." His voice shaking slightly.

"And," Jack couldn't keep the fear out of his voice either. He had been told that the Doctor had several months. He was terrified the new scans would show differently.

"I will live longer then I thought." The Doctor responded and Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what is the problem."

"At this rate, I will be blind in less then two months." He whined, "I will also be confined to a wheel chair shortly after that." He pointed at the scans and Jack looked to see that the two biggest lesions were centered on the vision and movement parts of the brains.

"Can't you regenerate?" Jack asked.

"No." He replied and let go of Jack and turned to the microscope instead.

"Why not?"

"Same reason why I will go blind. The lesions on my brain are in a position where my body doesn't recognize that it needs to regenerate. By the time I get to that point, I will be too sick and weak to successfully regenerate. I won't have the energy to do it either." He leaned over and tapped a few things on the screen and a reading came up.

"That needs to be at least %95 for my body to regenerate. Since I got sick it has been sitting at closer to %60. Until it reaches where it needs to be again, I am stuck."

"What about normally?"

"Normally it is always above %95. The illness is what has caused it to drop. The lesions are causing the energy to be used to stunt their growth." He looked up from the microscope and took off his glasses. He set them down and then used his hand to rub his temples. "The energy that causes me to regenerate, also is what allows me to heal if I break a bone or cut myself. Without that energy I won't heal properly."

"So if you break a bone now?"

"It will heal,just not as quickly as it would have, before I got sick."

Jack sat down. "What do you need me to do?"

"Right now," he asked Jack and Jack nodded. "I just want to go to bed." he admitted. Jack stood up again and didn't question the IV as he took it down and carried it for the Doctor as the two of them left the TARDIS and headed to Jack's room in the hub. He placed the IV bag on the stand in his room and then helped the Doctor into bed. Jack tucked the blankets up around the Doctor's neck and then went and turned the light's off.

"Sleep well sweetheart." Jack whispered as he started to leave.

"Jack," Came the low voice of the Doctor. "Stay."

He closed the door and came back into the room. He took off his shoes and shirt. The Doctor lifted up the blankets and Jack went under them. The Doctor moved so his chest was pressing against Jacks. He kissed Jack gently on the lips and when Jack didn't pull away, he deepened the kiss. Pushing his lips hard against Jack's, he opened his mouth slightly and pushed his tongue into Jack's mouth. Jack moaned as the Doctor slid his hand down Jacks side and then gripped his bottom, pulling Jack's groin against his.

"Doctor," Jack gasped pulling back slightly and the Doctor placed a finger to Jack's lips. Quickly, he replaced his finger with his lips again. He reached down and unzipped Jack's pants. Jack caught his wrist and pulled it back up.

It took all of Jack's willpower to lean away. "You have an IV."

"So, that can come out now." the Doctor panted.

"You should be resting." Jack tried again.

"You said you would help me." He bit Jack's neck softly and Jack moaned. "Don't you want to help me?" he asked. He rubbed up against him.

Jack scrambled out of the bed and he saw the hurt and rejection in the Doctor's eyes. He helped the Doctor take out the IV and moved the IV stand away from the bed. "Remove your pants and roll onto your stomach." Jack told the Doctor and the Doctor looked relieved as he listened.

He was slightly scared as Jack climbed back on the bed and even more nervous as he felt Jack against him. But later as Jack held him and moved inside of him, he thought of nothing.


	11. Chapter 11

When Jack awoke he first felt guilty about the dream that he had. But as he came around and realized that the Time Lord had his head rested on his chest and his naked leg wrapped around Jack's under the covers, he felt more guilty it wasn't a dream. He hadn't meant to go that far with the Doctor. Not yet at least.

When the Doctor had invited him back into bed he had accepted. He planned on holding him until he went to sleep and then heading back upstairs to finish some work. The kissing was unexpected but kissing was nice. When he realized how far the Time Lord actually wanted to go, he went against all he senses and got out of bed. He was going to explain it was a bad idea, the Doctor was sick. The look of rejection in the Doctor's eyes changed that. He couldn't reject the one man he had waited over 2000 years for. So instead he told him to take off his pants and roll over. Surprise filled him as he watched the Doctor listen and those were the last words spoken.

Taking things slow, Jack spent a long time just kissing and holding the Doctor. Moving softly against him. He waited for the Doctor to change his mind. Even after he had finally rolled the Doctor onto his side and held him tight as he entered him. He listened to the moans and sighs coming from the man in his arms. He had brought them both to climax, with gentle, controlled movements. Afterwards the Doctor had kissed him on the cheek before settling down to sleep in his arms.

He very carefully untangled himself from the Doctor's arms and watched as he rolled over, curling around a pillow. Jack found his trousers and got dressed as he hurried out of the bedroom and up to the kitchen. He had almost made it to the safety of his office, when he ran into Martha.

"I slept with the Doctor," he blurted out.

"I am glad he's asleep. I was just about to check on him." She responded, not lifting her eyes from the paperwork she was holding.

"That's not what I meant. Well he is asleep, but I had sex with the Doctor."

"Oh," Martha looked up with a surprised look.

"Oh, is that it?" Jack asked.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to yell at me. Tell me it was wrong. That I shouldn't have done it."

"Was it consensual?"

"Of course," Jack responded, horrified she could even ask.

"Then it isn't a problem." She shrugged.

"What if he thinks it is? What if he thinks I took advantage of the fact he is sick?"

"You need to discuss that with him." Martha replied.

The night passed and the Doctor showed no signs of waking up. When Martha got to work she wasn't happy to hear that he was still asleep, but upon hearing he had taken blood and brain scans the day before she disappeared into the lab. Not before sending Jack to wake him up with a small bag of pills. Jack entered the room and chuckled. The Doctor was still sound asleep on his stomach. But he had turned diagonal and was spread out so that he was taking up most of the bed. Jack got close to his head and gently stroked his hair.

"Come on sleepy head. It's time to wake up." He cooed.

"Five more minutes." The Doctor groaned and turned his face away from Jacks.

"You've been asleep over 14 hours, it's time to get up." Jack kissed him on the head. "Come and have some tea and then you can see Martha in the Medi-bay. She has your test with her."

That got the Doctor's interest. He jumped up to get out of bed, tangled his feet in the blankets and fell hard to the ground, with a cracking sound. "Ow," he moaned as Jack hurried over to him.

"What was that?" Jack asked frantically. "What broke?"

"My dignity." He responded as he reached underneath himself and pulled out a small clock. Jack giggled as the Doctor rubbed his backside. "It's not funny." He moaned.

"I could kiss it and make it better." Jack offered. He shook his head and pushed himself up with his right hand. "Go take a shower and when you get done, I will have a cup of tea waiting for you." The Doctor started to turn away.

"I almost forgot, pills first, then shower." He handed the Doctor the small bag of pills. The Doctor poured them on the table and noted the anti depressant was back as well as a new one. He looked at it a moment before handing it to Jack.

"I don't know if I can take that." He said. "I will check with the TARDIS first."

"That's a change." Jack slipped the pill into his pocket. The Doctor took the rest of the pills and again just using his right hand, picked up a glass of water off the nightstand and took a drink.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked noticing he wasn't using his left hand at all.

"Nothing," He responded quickly and headed into the bathroom. As soon as the door was closed, he leaned against and grimaced. He held up his left hand and looked at it. His small finger was sticking out at an odd angle. It didn't matter what finger it was really, this wasn't suppose to happen. He didn't break bones easily, certainly not by falling out of bed.

There was a small knock on the door. "I said I'm fine Jack," He called out.

"Good thing I'm not Jack," Martha responded. "Open the door."

"I'm naked." He replied indignantly.

"You haven't cared before."

He wrapped a towel around his waist before opening the door. "Yes Martha?"

"Let me see your hand."

"It's currently holding the towel." He replied cheekily.

"That's okay, it's the other hand I want to see."

He held out his hand and she shook her head. "Any reason you didn't want Jack to know you broke your finger?"

"No."

"Then why hide it? Come on, lets go to the TARDIS and get you fixed up."

"What about my tea?" He whined.

"You can have tea after." She responded and took his wrist and led him up out of the room.


	12. Chapter 12

The Doctor was sitting unhappily on one of the beds in the TARDIS medi-bay. The towel was still wrapped around his waist and Martha was busy x-raying his hand to see the extent of the break. She tutted as the x-rays came up on the screen.

"How did you manage that?" she asked as she turned the screen towards him. It showed that the middle and proximal bones both broken and a fracture in the shaft of his hand. "We are going to have to put a cast on it."

He scowled at her. She gave him a shot of both a muscle relaxant and a anesthetic.

"Let's give that a minute to kick in okay." she told him and he nodded. She left for a moment and came back with Jack and a few items that she needed and then came back to sit beside the bed. "I've been looking at your brain scans. If you were human I would think you had cancer."

"That's the problem Martha Jones, you've been looking at this as though I was human. While that is brilliant and you are brilliant." He waived his good hand in front of his face and smiled. "It's wrong, completely wrong." He finished finally.

"Then tell me how to treat you correctly."

"You can't. I am a Time Lord, I need to regenerate." He frowned. "If I was on Gallifrey, I would be forced to regenerate and assisted through the process."

"Could we force you to regenerate?"

"You could, but you couldn't support me through it. It would fail and I would end up dead." He frowned again.

"Are you sure there is nothing we can do?"

He shrugged. "You drugged me," he exclaimed as he waived his hand in front of his face.

"I think you're ready. Let's get your hand set." She said. He cried out and tried to pull away from her as she started to reduce the fractures in his hand. "Doctor you need to stay still. I am sorry it hurts but I have to do this. Jack come help me." Jack firmly took the Doctor's arm and and held it in place. He cried out again, as Martha maneuvered the bones back into place.

"Okay Jack," Martha said. "I need you to hold his hand just like this, while I cast him up." Once the cast was on she smoothed the plaster to make sure there were no bumps. "There we're all done for now. We will have to change it to a more permanent cast in a couple of days, once the swelling has gone down."

She looked up at him and noticed his eyes were unfocused. "Doctor," she said calmly.

"What's the matter?" Jack wondered

"He is having an absence seizure." Martha looked at her watch.

"That is new," Jack commented.

"I don't think it is. I have been worried he has been having them for longer then the full tonic clonic seizures. They are harder to notice." Finally the Doctor turned and looked at her.

"Have you finished?" The Doctor asked her.

"Yes, it just needs to dry. Then you can have a cup of tea."

"I'll go and make it," Jack said, eager to get out of the medi-bay.

"Did I upset him?" The Doctor asked as he watched Jack rushing to get away.

"He is just having trouble with how sick you really are." Martha commented. They sat quietly waiting for Jack to return. He took his tea from Jack, and then watched Martha disappear.

"We need to talk?" Jack said quietly. The Doctor turned and raised an eyebrow at Jack.

"Oh."

"Do you regret what happened?" Jack mumbled it so quickly that The Doctor had trouble understanding him.

"No, do you," he said at last.

"Of course not," Jack breathed with relief. "Maybe a little."

"I see."

"Not because of it. But because of the situation."

The Doctor chuckled, he couldn't help himself. "Everything comes back to the fact I am dying."

"You're sick."

"No, I am dying. Jack if I just wanted meaningless sex, I wouldn't have turned to you." He admitted.

"Really?" In reply the Doctor leaned over and gently pressed his lips against Jacks. He reached up with his good hand and stroked Jack's hair pulling him closer. Jack wrapped his arms around the Doctor and fell back with him onto the bed. The towel slid away as Jack lay on top of the Doctor, kissing him passionately.

"One, I am still in the room and two you don't need to be going any further while your cast is still drying." Martha commented sternly. Jack nipped the Doctor's bottom lip with his teeth before sitting up. He grabbed the towel and threw it back over him.

"Later," he whispered in the Doctor's ear.


	13. Chapter 13

By the time the cast was dry the Time Lord was sound asleep. He had his hand propped up on on a pillow and was laying on his back. His head was turned to the side and he was snoring softly. Jack chuckled as the towel had slipped again. Trying to preserve a little of his dignity, Jack found a sheet and covered him before heading to see Martha. Martha was still in the lab engrossed in the various test they had ran.

"Find anything?" Jack asked and Martha jumped. Placing her hand on her heart she scolded Jack.

"You scared me and no nothing that can help him yet," she answered. She sat back and rubbed her eyes.

"He is worried he is going to go blind and end up in a wheelchair."

"He is, judging by the lesions. He will go blind and then we have to keep him on his feet as long as possible. Once he is in the wheelchair he will decline rapidly. I just hope we can keep him from giving up." Martha responded.

"He all ready has," Jack told her mournfully.

"I agree, I am hoping the anti-depressants change that. Except once he hits needing a wheelchair permanently he is going to decline quickly."

"I don't like wheelchairs," the Doctor stated as he entered the room. The towel was tied around his waist again. He looked at the two of them suspiciously. "Besides I won't need a wheelchair, I will just have Jack carry me."

"You need to be able to get around on your own," Martha argued.

"What will it matter if I am blind anyway," he responded raising his eyebrow at her and rubbing the back of his neck. When neither one had an answer he headed towards the desk. "Jack can you find me some trousers, it is going to be a long night. We have a lot of work to do." He sat down next to Martha and saying nothing began to work.

Martha was sound asleep beside him. Her head on the desk resting on one of the papers he needed. They had been working for hours now and neither one of them were any closer to figuring out how to stop the lesions and repair his brain. He had the TARDIS scan the pill that Martha had wanted him to take and found that it was one commonly given to people with Alzheimer. He had reluctantly taken it when he realized it wouldn't kill him but he didn't think it would do anything.

He pulled up the information on the TARDIS and was happy to see that Martha was carefully researching all the medicine she gave him and their interactions. He knew that there was going to come a time, that he wouldn't be able to, so he was happy that he would be able to rely on her. There were some human drugs that would cause him days of suffering in excruciating pain before death finally took hold. That didn't sound pleasant either. He was going to have to talk to her about drugs that would help him go peacefully when it was his time. He sighed as he carefully pulled the paper out and tried to read it.

He took off his thinking glasses and soniced the lens before placing them back on. It was the second time he had to strengthen them so that he could see better. Even then his eyesight was a little blurrier then normal. He took the glasses off again and rubbed his eyes.

"Jack," he called out.

"Coming," Jack responded from the other room. He sat down a fresh cup of tea in front of the Doctor. Instead of looking pleased the Doctor looked at him with annoyance.

"Can you please get Martha out of here and on to one of the beds. The idiot fell asleep and drooled on the paper I need and now I have to recopy it."

"Be nice," Jack scolded. "She is trying to help you."

"Nice. She fell asleep. She is just a stupid ape pressing buttons on a keyboard. How the hell is she suppose to help me if she is asleep?" The Doctor asked Jack.

"What has gotten into you? She isn't going to want to help you if you treat her ungratefully."

"Why should I be grateful you two are keeping me alive?" The Doctor yelled. "I wanted to die you two bloody idiots are forcing me to stay alive against my will."

"Jack," Martha said softly. "Get him to the floor."

"Why?"

"Just do it," she responded. Jack grabbed the Doctor under the armpits and drug him down on to the lab floor.

"Get your hands off of me." The Doctor yelled fighting him. A few moments later his body went tense and Jack released him backing away.

"He didn't mean what he was saying," Martha told Jack again as she took the Doctor's cup of tea and took a sip. She made a face. "You spoil him, he doesn't need this much sugar."

"He likes it and he has been working hard." Jack folded up his coat and stuck it under the Doctor's head as the seizure shook his body. After about three minutes and the seizure wasn't letting up Martha started to get worried.

"Enough of this silliness," she said softly. "You need to stop this so you can get some rest." Finally after another minute the Doctor is still. Jack tilted his head back and the Doctor gulped in air greedily.

"Time to wake up sweethearts," Jack stroked his head. "Wake up and then I will take you down to bed and you can get some proper sleep."

"He can't do that until you wake up though," Martha added. "So are you going to open your eyes now?"

"No," The Time Lord groaned.

"Just for a minute and then Jack can take you to bed. Okay?" Martha asked. The Doctor opened his eyes and looked at her miserably.

"I just want to sleep," he moaned and then turned to look at Jack. "Please Jack take me to bed." Martha nodded at Jack and Jack scooped the Doctor up in his arms.

"You still owe me a kiss," Jack flirted as he carried him out of the TARDIS and down into the bedroom in the hub.

"Maybe later," The Doctor smiled and curled up on top of the blankets as Jack set him down.

"I love you," Jack whispered as he kissed the Doctor on top of the head and left him to his rest.


	14. Chapter 14

Over the next month the Doctor was slowly deteriorating before their eyes and they were no closer to finding a way to save him. Though the cast on his hand had been reduced, the Doctor still needed a lot of help. Jack's heart broke as he had to help the Doctor out of bed in the morning as his muscles failed to respond to him. His walking was becoming slower and he had to think about each step that he took. The Doctor's thinking glasses were now a permanent part of his wardrobe but Jack still found the Doctor squinting trying to read the notes on the papers he kept with Martha. He was having seizures at least once every other day now and each one left him exhausted and sleeping for hours after. Martha was working diligently trying to find a way to reverse the disease, leaving Jack to the main day to day care of the Doctor.

Jack woke up early next to the sleeping thin pale man. He kissed the Doctor lightly on the head before pulling himself out of bed and heading to the kitchen. Before the Doctor would have been awake for hours all ready, now Jack figured he had a few hours before he would need attending too. He saw the door was still open to the TARDIS and sighing he headed inside to check on Martha. Entering the medi-bay he found Martha on the floor in the corner of the lab, her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was sobbing loudly.

"Hey, what's the matter," Jack asked softly as he knelt down in front of her.

"I can't do it." She sobbed. "It's too much and nothing is working. He is right. We are going to lose him because I can't do it." Jack sat down next to her and pulled Martha into his arms rubbing her back softly.

"Don't give up yet Martha. You two will come up with a solution, but you can't do it if you keep pulling these all nighters. You need to sleep and eat just like everyone else."

"What if I can't?" Martha asked between sobs. "He'll die and you'll never forgive me. I won't forgive myself."

"Then we know that you tried." Jack voice broke as he said it. "We will move on and continue to defend this planet in his name." The two of them sat there holding each other listening to the gentle hum of the TARDIS. Jack felt bad for the TARDIS, he knew she was a sentient being and wondered what would happen to her after... if the Doctor passed. She didn't deserve to sit on some street corner and just rot and be forgotten about. He would take care of her he decided. Even if he couldn't fly her at least he could keep her company, so she wasn't alone. He rubbed the wall with his hand and pushed his mind towards her.

*I'll keep you company if something happens to him* he advised her. He heard a happy hum and smiled despite himself.

"Flirting with my TARDIS, again Jack," The Doctor joked.

"How did you get out of bed?" Jack asked surprised to see the Doctor standing there as Martha quickly wiped her eyes.

"Ianto," The Doctor shrugged. "I called for you, you didn't answer but Ianto did. He even made me tea." He held up his tea cup and took a sip. "Even gets the tea right."

"And I don't?" Jack pouted.

"No, you make it too sweet." The Doctor grinned. "I feel like I am eating sweets not drinking tea."

"Maybe it's because I like you sweet when I taste you." Jack flirted and the Doctor blushed. Jack stood up and went to the Doctor. He took the tea from him and sat it down on the nearby bed. Jack turned back to the Doctor and wrapped his arms around him pulling him close. He kissed him on his head and then softly on the lips. The Doctor tried to kiss Jack back but Jack pulled his head away, making the Doctor groan.

"Just not sweet enough."

"Jaaack," the Doctor whined. The whine turned into a moan as Jack grinded his hips against the Doctors.

"Was there something you wanted?" Jack asked

"Since you're up, let's get to work," Martha interjected as they seemed to forget she was there... again.

"No," Jack answered. "We're all going back to bed. You are going to get some sleep and he is going to scream my name. Then we will start again in the afternoon."

"Am I?" the Doctor raised his eyebrow at Jack.

"You are." Jack responded kissing his neck and nipping the Doctor's ear as he ran his hands lower.

"I don't scream for anyone," the Doctor said cheekily.

"Then I have my work cut out for me." Jack accepted the challenge as he scooped the Doctor up in his arms and carried him back down to their room.

-DW-

They were laying on the bed tangled in the blankets. Both of them were breathing hard. Jack was laying on top of the Doctor and had his head on the Doctor's shoulder.

"Give up?" The Doctor panted.

"For now. I forget how stubborn you can be." Jack relented, rolling off of him and then lifting up his arm as the Doctor cuddled up to him.

"You love it," the Doctor joked.

"I do." Jack agreed. The Doctor used his fingertips to trace the muscles on Jack's stomach and up around his pecs.

"I was thinking we should bring Sarah Jane and K-9 over." The Doctor said casually.

"I feel as though I should be insulted."

"Don't be. I was coming to tell you in the TARDIS when you distracted me." He lifted his head and pressed his lips firmly against Jacks. He kissed him deeply and passionately. "She might be able to help and I want to see her and K-9 again before I go blind."

"I will call her. She will have to bring Luke with her."

"Who," the Doctor asked.

"Her son Luke. He is a good kid. He is a genius. You met him briefly."

"I remember now," the Doctor yawned. "He can come too, I suppose."

"I will go and call her while you get some sleep," Jack kissed him on the head and tried to dislodge himself. The Doctor clung tightly to him.

"Stay until I am asleep, please." The Doctor whined.

"Of course." Jack laid there holding the Doctor as he fought sleep. He would be almost asleep and then he would shake himself awake or force his eyes open. Jack stroked his head and tried his best to comfort him.

"It's okay you can sleep."

"I'm afraid." The Doctor finally admitted in a small voice that Jack barely heard him.

"Of what?"

"What if I wake up and can't see, or what if I don't wake up at all?" The Doctor whimpered. "Whenever I close my eyes I feel like I am sinking and my body is to heavy."

"You need to sleep." Jack said softly.

"Please don't make me go to sleep," The Doctor begged.

"You don't have to. Let's take a shower, get dressed and then I will call Sarah." He tried again to stand up but the Doctor didn't move and continued to cling to him. "Or we can stay here."

-DW-

After almost two hours of fighting it, the Doctor's body had finally won over his mind and he was sound asleep. Jack was grateful as he stood up and stretched. His back ached and his arm and leg felt of pins and needles. He limped slowly to the shower and cleaned himself before getting dressed. By the time he made it into the main hub he was walking normal again and felt better. Though he was even more worried about the Time Lord. He hoped that his being afraid to sleep was just a side effect of being so worn out. Jack decided he would talk to Martha about it and if necessary they could probably add a sleeping pill to the night time medications. The Doctor now took at least six pills four times a day. Jack hoped he wouldn't question adding a new one to the regiment.

He found Martha in the Torchwood meeting room, sound asleep on the couch in there. Jack had no idea how long she had been asleep but he was happy to see her taking his advice. He turned off the lights and then headed to Ianto who was down on the rift computer.

"Where is Mickey?" Jack asked him.

"Out, we had something come through the rift in the last hour," Ianto replied.

"Why wasn't I informed immediately?" Jack voice took on an official tone.

"I didn't think you wanted to be disturbed, sir." Ianto responded just as plainly.

"I am still the boss around here." Jack countered. "I want to know when he is back. I will be in my office." Jack started stormed into his office and sat down behind the desk. He had no right to be angry and he knew it. He had been so busy taking care of the Doctor in the last month, he had begun to neglect the normal duties he did around Torchwood. The paperwork on his desk was pilling up as well as the artifacts that needed to be cataloged and put into the vault. He picked up his phone and dialed Sarah Jane.

"Hello?" Sarah answered.

"Sarah, it's Captain Jack," He said happily.

"How are you Captain?" Sarah asked.

"I'm fine. I was wondering if you would be able to come to Cardiff for a few days."

"Has something come through the rift that you need help with?" She asked confused.

"No, maybe. I honestly don't know. It's just the Doctor is here and he wants to see you." Jack advised her.

"He wants to see me?" Sarah stated in surprise. "I can't come down until the weekend and he will probably be gone by then."

"Not this time." Jack responded.

"How can you know for sure?"

Jack sighed, he really didn't want to have this conversation over the phone but he knew he had to. "He is dying Sarah."

"He will just regenerate."

"Not this time. I don't quite understand it myself but he has lesions on his brain that are stopping him. If we don't figure out how to stop it he will be dead within a couple of months. He has been here almost two months now and he has been getting worse in front of my eyes. He is having trouble walking and he is quickly going blind."

"Why didn't you call me sooner," Sarah Jane asked.

"I have been so focused on him, I didn't even think of it. I should have and I am sorry I didn't. But please come down here, for him."

"Of course I will, I just need to pick Luke up from school and then we will be there tonight."

"You don't have to come before the weekend."

"Yes I do." Sarah Jane replied.

"Thank you, I will let him know. He is staying here at the hub with me. Just call me when you get here and I will let you in."

"I will see you soon," Sarah started to hang up the phone.

"Oh Sarah," Jack said quickly.

"Yes."

"Bring K-9." Jack told her, happy that he remembered before they reached Cardiff.

"Anything else?"

"No, I will see you tonight." Jack hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair for a moment before setting to work on the papers that had piled up.


	15. Chapter 15

Jack had been working on the paperwork for a few hours. He had made a significant dent in it but was surprised how much there was still to do. He sat down the pen and flexed his cramping fingers. A knock at the door provided a much need distraction.

"Enter," Jack called out and Mickey stepped through the door with Ianto.

"You wanted to see me boss?" Mickey asked.

"Yes, both of you, come in and have a seat," Jack motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk. He watched as they exchanged glances and then sat down in the offered chairs.

"I don't appreciate not being informed of what is going on around here. I should have been told that an artifact had come through the rift and that you were heading out to retrieve it Mickey. I am still the boss around here and I demand to be treated that way."

"No offense you haven't been acting like much of a boss lately, boss." Mickey said. "Everything around here is centered around the Doctor being sick, leaving me and Ianto to cover the Torchwood side. My wife doesn't even come home anymore. Now don't get me wrong, we all love the Doctor..."

"I don't," Ianto mumbled interrupting Mickey.

"Everyone besides Ianto loves the Doctor, but it is just the two of us trying to hold things together now." Mickey finished.

"When is Gwen coming back?" Jack asked.

"She isn't," Ianto responded. "Her and Rhys decided that with the baby it would be safer if she didn't work."

"Well Sarah Jane will be here tonight for a few days. In the meantime." Jack handed Ianto a stack of papers. "You file these and Mickey you can help me start to catalog and put these artifacts in the vault. And the next time the rift detector goes off I demand you tell me. Is that understood?"

They both nodded. "Good. You are dismissed Ianto." Ianto picked up the paper work and left the office. Mickey started to stand up and head to the pile of artifacts but Jack held up his hand to stop him. As soon as the office door was closed, he began to speak again.

"I tell her to go home every night. She has been coming back in or hiding out in the TARDIS. Is everything all right between you two?"

Mickey shrugged. "Before the Doctor came back we were talking about children and holidays and arguing who had to cook dinner. Now when I see her see, she is upset she is failing the Doctor, or she wants clean clothes, or have I fed the bloody cat."

Jack smiled sympathetically. "I am giving both of you the night off. Go home with your wife. She is asleep right now in the meeting room. I don't want to see either of you back here until tomorrow."

"What about the artifacts and if something comes through the rift?"

"We can handle it, now go before I change my mind," Jack said.

-DW-

It was another several hours of quiet work before Jack's hand was cramping and he stood up and stretched his sore back again. His back had been bugging him a lot lately from hauling the Doctor around and falling asleep in uncomfortable positions. He made his was out of the room and saw Ianto at the rift detector.

"Martha and Mickey leave," Jack asked.

"They left a few hours ago." Ianto replied.

"Go home Ianto, I will watch it today," Jack said.

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying."

"Go," Jack said again. He looked at the time and was surprised to see it was only the middle of the afternoon. Grabbing the bag of pills and a cup of tea, not overly sweet, he headed down to his room. Chuckling that he found the Doctor sound asleep, curled in a ball on the edge of the bed.

"Wake up sleepy head," he cooed, stroking the Doctor's head. "I have a nice bag of pills for you and then we can have some lunch." The Doctor groaned at him but sat up and yawned. Jack thought with some amusement and also a little bit of sadness that he had never seen the Time Lord yawn before all this started. He handed the Doctor the pills and the tea and watched the Doctor swallow them without looking at what was in his hand. It would defiantly be simple to introduce a sleeping pill at night, Jack decided.

Grabbing the Doctor's hands he pulls him carefully out of bed and allows him to find his feet before letting go. The Doctor walks slowly into the bathroom and the shower starts. Jack waits for him to get out and helps him to dress before the two of them head up into the hub again.

"What do you want to do today?" Jack asked.

"Work on my examines," The Doctor responded.

"No, I have given everyone the day off, including you. Today is about having fun and relaxing," Jack looked through the empty cupboards and sighed. "Also shopping."

-DW-

The day passes with movies, laughter and games. For a minute Jack can pretend the Doctor isn't dying and that everything is going to be okay. But as eight pm nears and the Doctor passes out on the couch with his head on Jack's lap, Jack is reminded that if they don't cure him, it will soon be over. Carefully he removed the Doctor's glasses and placed them over his own eyes. The glasses were so magnified that everything in the room looked blurry to Jack. Feeling worse, he sat the glasses down on the table and sat there stroking the Doctor's head.

Around midnight the buzzing of his cell phone woke him up.

"Hello?" he asked sleepily.

"Jack, sorry to wake you, but Luke and I just got here." Sarah Jane apologized over the phone.

"No problem, I will let you in. Just give me a minute." He carefully moved himself off the couch and then found a blanket to cover the sleeping Doctor. Opening the door, Sarah Jane and Luke both came in carrying grocery bags.

"What's all this?" Jack asked.

"Food, I know he doesn't shop and the last time I was here you didn't either." Sarah responded carrying the groceries to the small kitchen. She sat them down and turned to give Jack a hug.

"How is he?"

"At the moment, he is fine, just sleeping." He hugged Luke, who was falling asleep on his feet and leaned against Jack sleepily.

"He didn't use to sleep," she commented starting to put things away.

"He does now. He sleeps at least eight hours a day and sometimes up to twenty depending on how he is feeling." Jack ran his hands down his face. "I know it was a long drive why don't you two get some sleep and we can talk in the morning. Where is K-9 by the way."

"In the car I will get him and get Luke settled into one of the beds in the TARDIS, if that's all right," Sarah responded.

"Fine, I'll make some coffee," Jack answered realizing she wasn't going to go to be without answers. Sarah disappeared for a few minutes. She came back and happily accepted the cup of coffee offered to her and took a seat at the table across from Jack.

"How is he really?" she asked.

"He is dying Sarah. He is getting worse everyday. As I said over the phone he has lesions that are spreading over his brain and killing him slowly. He can barely walk and he is almost blind. He also has seizures on a regular basis."

"Seizures?"

"Yeah, oh and about that. If he starts getting overly angry with you. I mean abnormally angry. Make him sit on the floor. Even if you have to force him down. It usually means he is going to have a seizure."

"I will try to remember that." Sarah took a sip of coffee. "Is there anything that can be done?"

"We are trying to find a cure, but so far it has been unsuccessful. All we have managed to do is get him on a bunch of pills that help the physical aspects of the disease but do nothing to stop it." Jack sighed. "We are quickly losing him."

"Any idea why he wanted to see me?" Sarah asked.

"No, but you are one of his oldest friends. I think he just missed you."

"It's a nice thought, but that's not the Doctor," Sarah insisted. "He doesn't just do domestic."

"He does now. Him and I have been in a relationship the last month."

"Congratulations," Sarah Jane said, genuinely happy for them. She yawned. "If he is asleep. I am going to go sleep too. I will find out what he wants come morning." She stood up and Jack took her cup to the sink.

"Oh and Jack, I hope you find a cure. You two deserve each other."

"Thank you Sarah."


	16. Chapter 16

Martha and Mickey spent a quiet evening at home, reaffirming their love for each other. In the morning Martha rose early and made breakfast for the two of them. Feeling happier than she had in the two months since the Doctor arrived, they arrived at Torchwood and walked right into the middle of an argument.

"I want off the couch now," the Doctor was yelling from the other room. "You have no right to keep me here."

"I will help you off the couch and on to the floor, but no further," Jack shouted back from the kitchen.

"I can get to the floor myself." There was a pause followed by a groan. "Happy now? I am sitting on the floor like you wanted. What now do you want me to crawl to you like an animal? Are you going to lock me in one of the cells like the Weevils and keep me on display?"

"No," Jack replied.

"Then help me up," the Doctor shouted angrily.

"Calm down and I will."

"Go to hell." The Doctor called. "I should have left you dead on the Game Station."

"You did."

"Jack will be in there in a moment, just calm down." Martha said, heading towards the kitchen.

"You can go to hell too." The Doctor replied.

Martha entered the kitchen with Mickey and was surprised to see Sarah Jane and Luke sitting at the table.

"We try not to hold it against him when he gets like this, but it is very hard not too," Jack was explaining. "Whatever you do, don't slap him though."

"I only did the once," Martha said, as she poured a cup of coffee. "He insulted my mother."

"He insulted your mother," Sarah asked in surprise.

"He didn't mean it and felt bad afterward," Martha shrugged it off.

"Jack I'm sorry," The Doctor called his voice deathly calm.

"Are you calm now?" Jack loudly asked.

"If I wasn't would I be apologizing?" The Doctor asked snidely.

"Just breathe, I will be there in a moment." Jack picked up a cup of tea and headed out of the room.

"When did you get here?" Martha asked wrapping Sarah Jane in a hug.

"Last night, Jack invited us." Sarah Jane replied. "Say hello Luke."

Luke looked over the top of the book he was reading. "Hello," he said with a smile before burying his nose back in it.

It was about ten minutes later before Jack came back into the kitchen with the Doctor. The Doctor was leaning heavily against Jack and looked exhausted.

"Morning," he mumbled, reaching for his tea from Jack.

"Sit down first and then you can have your tea and some breakfast before bed." Jack helped him into his chair.

"How long?" Martha asked reaching and taking the Doctor's left wrist.

"Four minutes total, it wasn't too bad though. He also came out of it quickly and cleanly." Jack responded, he stood next to the Doctor and the Doctor leaned over and rested his head on Jack's stomach. Martha timed his pulse as he looked at her grumpily and tried to grab his tea with his right hand. He tried to pull away from her and when she didn't let go, he pouted. Finally satisfied his hearts weren't under any new distress she released his wrist and he snatched his arm back quickly. The Doctor smiled as he took his tea from Jack. He took a small sip and sat it down. Wrapping his arms around Jack's waist he smacked his lips sleepily and closed his eyes.

"Hey don't be rude. Say hi to Sarah Jane and Luke. They came all this way to see you." Jack scolded softly.

"Hi Sarah, hi Luke." The Doctor slurred. "Night."

"What happened to your arm?" Sarah asked noticing the cast.

"He broke his small finger in three places," Martha answered.

"I fell on an alarm clock." The Doctor sat up rubbed his eyes and  
yawned.

"Master," came a robotic voice.

"K-9," the Doctor exclaimed excitedly and eased himself on to the floor to sit cross legged in front of the robotic dog. The Doctor scratched K-9's robotic ear and cooed at him happily.

"You're a good boy aren't you?"

"Affirmative."

"Jack when did you get K-9?" The Doctor asked happily.

"He belongs to Sarah Jane, she brought him over when she came to see you."

"Sarah Jane is here?"

"You just side hi to her, don't you remember?" Martha asked concerned.

"I remember saying hi to Sarah and Luke," the Doctor acknowledged. "I can't see them though. Everything is just blurs."

"Oh your glasses," Martha realized feeling dumb. "I can go get them. Where did you leave them?"

"I'll get them?" Jack answered and rushed out of the room, returning a moment later. The Doctor took his glasses and put them on, before frowning and patting his pockets. He pulled out his screwdriver and soniced the lens for a moment. His face fell and he grabbed his glasses off of his face and threw them aside with the sonic. Not caring anyone else was in the room, the Doctor proceeded to pull his knees up to his chest and weep.

"I don't think he came out of the seizure as cleanly as you think Jack," Martha whispered.

"I agree," Jack whispered back.

"I can still hear you," The Doctor joined in.

"Then lets get you to bed sweetheart. Come on, get up on your feet." Jack tried to pull him up but instead the Doctor went rigid and his back arched slightly. He quickly started to shake with seizures again and Jack moved back.

"Oh sweetheart don't do that," Jack kept his voice as calm as possible but his was panicking.

"It'll pass," Martha told Jack. "He's just be silly now. Two in a short time is just silly."

Luke stood up and ran around the table to Sarah Jane, who watched her oldest and dearest friend in horror. When the seizure showed no signs of stopping after five minutes. Finally after another a minute he stopped. Martha tipped the Doctor's head back. His lips were tinged with blue and for a moment he refused to breath.

"Come on Doctor, you need to take a breath now." Martha said keeping her tone professional. Finally the Doctor took a quick hitched breath followed by another. His breathing was short, shallow and very quick.

"Ianto go get the oxygen," Jack called out from the kitchen, refusing to leave the Doctor's side.

"And an IV," Martha added. She reached into the Doctor's pocket and pulled out his stethoscope. Listening to his hearts she frowned. "His left has slowed down again. His right is doing all the work now." She commented to Jack.

Ianto came in with the oxygen and IV. Martha set up the IV while Jack put the oxygen over the Doctor's nose and mouth. Martha examined the Doctor from head to toe quickly checking to make sure he hadn't hurt himself. Finding no obvious injuries, she turned to Jack.

"Help me get him into the TARDIS. We need to figure out why his breathing isn't stabilizing and why he isn't waking up." Jack carefully picked up the Doctor and carried the limp man down to the TARDIS.


	17. Chapter 17

Jack quickly got the Doctor into the medi-bay and on to one of the beds. The screen above him turned on to show that during the short trip the Doctor's left heart had all but stopped and his right heart beat was becoming erratic.

"We're losing him," Jack said frantically.

"You think I don't realize that," Martha snapped. "The question is why? TARDIS I need a CT, MRI, and full body scan." She said as she dug around in the medicine cabinet and pulled out several vials and syringes. She injected two straight into the canola in his arm for the IV. The pictures she asked for appeared on the screen and Martha stopped for a moment to look at them. The lesions in the Doctor's head were bigger and spreading but other than that the scans looked normal.

"His left heart has stopped completely," Jack informed Martha.

"Shit," Martha swore. Martha ripped open the Doctor's shirt as he went into another seizure. "No, no, no. Don't do that." Martha exclaimed. The seizure was short but violent. When it stopped again the Doctor took a small breath and then another. His breathing, though still shallow, fell into a more normal pace.

"His left heart is still stopped." Jack commented.

"Help me roll him on his side." Martha said and they rolled him up on his right. "Pound his chest once on the left side," She informed Jack and he hit it as instructed. She hit the Doctor on his back in the same place and a small blip appeared on the screen as the left heart began to beat again. It remained weak and slow but Martha was happy it was going. She gently got the Doctor down on to his back again.

That is when Jack noticed the wet mark across the front of the Doctor's trousers. "Uh Martha," he nodded his head, when Martha looked up at him.

"It happens," she said calmly.

"Not to him." Jack stated.

"No, I agree. But none of this normally happens to him." Martha added. "I will get him cleaned up."

"No, I will do it," Jack responded. "I have to do something. I feel so helpless at the moment." He hung his head. "He was so alive yesterday and today he is laying here and close to death. I can't take it. We have to help him."

"I'm not sure what else to do at this point. I'm not giving up but I am lost Jack. If he were human he would be dead." Martha stroked the Doctor's arm.

"He's not human," Jack hissed. "He can overcome this. We just have to help him. Why not start over from the beginning? We can rerun all the test and find out if there is something new or something we missed the first time around."

"It will allow us to also check the progression of his deterioration. I don't know if he will let me stick a needle in his spine again though."

"No," the Doctor whimpered.

"Hey," Martha voice immediately changed from cold and professional to soft and friendly. "That wasn't a very nice welcome for Sarah Jane and Luke. You really scared us."

"Sorry," the Doctor muttered sounding confused.

"It's okay. Just open your eyes so we can make sure you are okay." The Doctor ignored her.

"Open your eyes and I'll let you see me naked." Jack flirted.

"I thought you wanted me to open my eyes," The Doctor responded cheekily.

"That's not what you said last night."

The Doctor lifted one eye brow amused and opened his eye slightly. The amused looked disappeared into one of concern. He blinked several times rapidly. Then he reached up to rub his eyes. Noticing the slight tug of the IV, he quickly tried to take it out. Martha placed her hand on his to stop him.

"You need to leave that in."

"My eyes, what have you done to me?" The Doctor asked frantically. His breathing speeding up and eyes shining with fear.

"Calm down, sweetheart, your safe." Jack tried to soothe him.

"Don't call me sweetheart. Where am I?"

"You're on the TARDIS," Martha replied.

"Who are you? Where AM I?" The Doctor asked again getting more frantic.

"You're on the TARDIS," Jack responded, he took the Doctor's hand and held it. "You have been sick. That is Martha Jones she is a friend and she is trying to help you."

"Where's Rose?"

Jack paused for a moment. "With her mother," he replied finally, not elaborating, but the Doctor seemed happy with the answer. "Now you need to calm down. You have just had three seizures and your left heart is not beating normally. Can you feel it?" The Doctor nodded and then yawned.

"Get some rest Doctor." Jack leaned over and kissed him on the head.

"What about her," The Doctor lazily lifted his arm and pointed at Martha.

"I'll keep an eye on her. You still trust me, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then get some sleep. I will make sure you are safe." Jack continued to hold his hand as his head fell to the side.

"Don't let her give me aspirin," he slurred.

"I won't," Jack assured him as the Doctor's breathing evened out.

"What was that about," Jack whispered concerned as the Doctor slept.

"He just had three seizures. Let him sleep and we will see where he is at when he wakes up. I do agree with you though. I am going to run all the test again and see if missed something the first time round. There has to be something." Martha examined the Doctor carefully, so as not to wake him.

"He is stable at the moment so I am going to go let Sarah Jane know what is going on."

"I am going to stay with him," Jack informed her. "I still need to get him cleaned up and I want to be here when he wakes up."

"I thought as much." Martha hugged Jack tightly from behind. "Let me know when he wakes." She said leaving the medical bay.

Jack stood and went over to the small sink and filled a bowl with warm water. Carefully stripping the Doctor of his pants, he cleaned him up and then placed a blanket over him to keep him warm. Taking his hand again Jack gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb.

"Please remember me when you wake up," he said, his voice barely audible as tears slid down his face. "I can't lose you yet."


	18. Chapter 18

After about a half an hour the Doctor's breathing changed again. It became even slower but he was taking deeper breaths. His right heart rate dropped. When Jack squeezed his hand comfortingly and became worried when the Doctor didn't react. Jack gently shook the Doctor's arm and still there was no reaction. Worried Jack called Martha back in and Martha went over the Doctor's vitals again.

"He has slipped into a coma," Martha determined as Jack watched on.

"He can't be."

"I am sorry Jack." Martha said soothingly as inside she was falling apart. She methodically went around the medi-bay grabbing a few things before heading back to the Doctor. Jack cringed as Martha catheterized the Doctor. She then switched out the oxygen mask for a line that just ran under his nose. She hooked sensors to the Doctor's chest to monitor his hearts. His left was still barely beating but the right one had a steady but slow pace. The TARDIS without the other hook ups showed the Doctor's brain activity as well as the fact that his energy levels had fallen to 45%.

"There has to be something we can do," Jack insisted as Martha folded the blankets at the Doctors waist, leaving his chest bare.

"I know this isn't easy Jack. Right now all we can do is wait and see if he comes out of the coma. In the mean time I am going to reanalyze the test and information we have. But before I do, I need to go talk to the others," Martha responded. Martha returned to Sarah Jane and Mickey who were waiting eagerly for new information.

"He's not dead is he," Sarah Jane asked in horror as Martha walked into the kitchen looked defeated.

"No," she replied as she slumped into the chair next to Mickey and laid her head on his shoulder as Mickey wrapped his arm around her. "He has slipped into a coma."

"Will he wake up," Mickey asked leaning his cheek against Martha's head.

"I don't know."

"Can I see him?" Sarah Jane asked.

Martha nodded. "Jack's in there with him still but it's all right. He is in the medi-bay."

Sarah Jane stood up. "Do you want to come Luke?"

"No," Luke responded still absorbed in the book in front of him.

Sarah Jane kissed Luke on his head before leaving the kitchen.

"What are you reading?" Mickey wondered. Luke held up the book.

"What Causes seizures?" Mickey read aloud. "Is it helpful?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't know? I haven't seen any of the Doctor's medical information."

"We can look at it later if you would like." Martha said kindly. Luke smiled and hid his face behind the book again.

-DW-

Sarah Jane entered the Medi-bay and was alarmed to see the Doctor hooked up to the heart monitors as well as the oxygen line beneath his nose. His left hand was hooked to an IV while his right was propped up on a pillow to prevent swelling within the cast. Sarah Jane looked sadly at the thin frame that showed his ribs and the top of his hip bones. She walked over to the Doctor and pulled the blanket up slightly, startling Jack who had his head hanging down.

"Sorry," She said.

"Don't be." Jack tried to smile as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "It's good to see you again Sarah, I am just sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances."

"Me too. How are things going at Torchwood." she asked sitting down next to Jack.

"Everything's the same. We are down another person. Gwen decided to be a stay at home mother. How are things with you?"

"Same. Still writing and raising Luke. Also investigating in Ealing." She answered. They talked for awhile avoiding the subject of the man laying next to them. Jack continued to sit vigilantly next to the Doctor's bed for the next few days while the other's stopped by for a short while to check on the Doctor or to make sure that Jack took care of himself. They brought Jack meals and Martha made sure he laid down and rested for a couple of hours each day. Even if he didn't sleep she made sure he rested, while she kept an eye on the Doctor in his place. During the three days nothing about the Doctor changed except that his energy levels slowly crept back up so that they were now sitting at 75%. On the fourth day of the coma his left heart started to beat faster and then dropped to almost not beating at all. The Doctor's energy suddenly dipped again to 60% and then his heart sped up again. It sped up and slowed down again several times before dropping to a steady pace. It maintained a slower pace then the right heart but it was beating more efficiently again.

On the fifth day, Jack was holding the Doctor's hand, when he felt the Doctor's fingers tighten around his hand briefly. He looked up to see the Doctor's eyes were still closed.

"Doctor?" He asked quietly.

"Jack," the Doctor responded.

Jack stood up and kissed the Doctor softly on the head. "I've been so worried." Jack kissed him on the head again and leaned back. The Doctor had his eyes open slightly.

"I have to get Martha. I will be back in just a moment." Jack informed him as he ran out of the Medibay and into the library where Luke was reading another book, this one on head injuries and Martha was reviewing the Doctor's medical information up this point.

"He's awake," Jack informed her happily as he ran out again. He went back into the medi-bay. In the short time that Jack was gone, the Doctor had removed the IV from his hand and the oxygen line from beneath his nose. His right hand was holding up the sheet and his left hand was beneath the blanket as he frowned at the catheter.

"Didn't want to remove that yourself?" Jack asked cheekily as he sat down in his chair next to the Doctor's bed. The Doctor's face turned red as he quickly pulled his hand away and dropped the blanket.

"No ta," he replied. A moment later Martha entered the room.

"You couldn't wait for me to remove them could you," She scolded as the Doctor looked at her guiltily. She shook her head as her voice took on a professional tone. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," The Doctor answered.

"How can you be tired? You just slept for five days," Jack asked surprised. Martha tutted at Jack as she checked the monitors. The Doctor's left heart was maintaining its higher beats. "How come your body recognizes a problem with your hearts but not with your brain?" She wondered.

"I don't know," he responded.

"All right, a simpler question. What is the last thing you remember?" Martha wondered.

"Laying on the couch watching a movie with Jack." The Doctor answered in confusion. A relieved look crossed Jack's face and he leaned forward and placed a kiss carefully on the Time Lord's lips. The Doctor returned the kiss before looking at Martha again. "Why?"

"That was a week ago sweetheart." Jack told him, thanking whatever was out there that the Doctor remembered him. "You have been here in the medical bay for five days now in a coma."

"What happened before the coma?" The Doctor asked turning to the shape he thought was Martha.

"You had three seizures and your left heart stopped completely. We got your heart going again and you woke up briefly. You couldn't remember me and you were asking Jack about Rose. After that you fell asleep again and shortly after slipped into the coma." Martha answered him truthfully.

"What was my energy at?"

"Let me check," Martha responded as she pulled up the information on the side monitor. "Here it is, 45%."

"That's why I slipped into the coma. My heart was strained and so my body needed to repair it but couldn't since my energy was low. I went into the coma to protect my heart as the energy came back up." The Doctor informed Martha.

"So it could happen again?"

"If my heart stops again, then yes."

"I haven't seen you slip into a coma when you were injured in the past," Jack chimed in.

"I haven't needed to. When I am healthy I heal faster. Vital organs such as my heart always heal quicker than injuries such as broken bones. If the injury is too bad then I just regenerate." The Doctor explained calmly before yawning again.

"This still doesn't explain why your brain isn't healing," Martha said.

"Because for some reason, my body doesn't see my brain as being injured. The lesions with no activity are blank spots that are over looked as being an issue. We need to find out why, in order to reverse what is happening."

"Jack had an idea that I would like to try once you have slept some more. We want to take all the test again that we have all ready run on you and compare them to see if there is anything different or new. Hopefully we can find something we missed the first time."

"You want to stick me with needles again," The Doctor whined.

"Unfortunately yes."

"Then can you at least remove this." He motioned to his groin.

"At least you are sensible to not remove everything by yourself." Martha commented. "Is it okay to remove?"

"Fine, I can control my bladder at the moment." The Doctor gave her sad eyes. "Please Martha?"

"Okay." She agreed. The Doctor squeezed Jack's hand as she carefully removed the line. "There all done. That wasn't so bad was it?"

Both Jack and the Doctor rolled their eyes. The Doctor yawned again. "Get some more sleep and when you are awake you can say a proper hello to Sarah Jane and Luke. They have been waiting here a week for you."

"I can say hello now."

"I would prefer you rested first. You can say hello later." Martha said kindly. The Doctor relented as he turned on to his side and closed his eyes. Martha smiled as she left him to sleep.

"Jack," The Doctor said quietly.

"Yes sweethearts."

"When is the last time you slept?" The Doctor wondered.

"I have rested everyday." Jack responded.

"Resting isn't sleeping. Come lay with me." The Doctor moved so he was laying closer to the edge of the bed giving Jack room to lay behind him.

"If you wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask." Jack said cheekily as he climbed up on the bed and lay behind the Doctor. He wrapped a protective arm around the Doctor's waist and pulled him tightly against his chest. He kissed the the Doctor on his head and then his neck. "I missed you," he whispered as he cuddled up to the Doctor. He received a soft snore in reply. Chuckling Jack kissed his head again and closed his eyes to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Jack awoke later that night to a hand gently caressing his check and a soft kiss to his forehead. He opened his eyes and stared at the hazy eyes of the Doctor.

"Hey," Jack said softly.

"I want to go outside," The Doctor said sadly.

"I don't kno..." Jack began but the Doctor cut him off.

"Please Jack. Take me outside." Jack stretched and then stood up.

"Wait here a moment while I find you some clothes." Jack helped the Time Lord to sit up before disappearing to his room. He picked out a pair of blue trousers and a light blue shirt. He grabbed a pair of converse and his long brown coat from the console room before he carried them back to the Doctor. Carefully he helped him dress and put on then tied his shoes. He helped the Doctor stand and waited until he got his footing before slipping the coat on.

"When will this come off," The Doctor held up his hand to indicate the cast.

"Martha thinks tomorrow. She just needs to do another x-ray first." Jack helped the Doctor through the hub and out into the cool night air. The Doctor's steps were slow and hesitant as he made his way outside. He kept walking slowly until he could feel the spray of the water on his face. He stood at the railing and looked up.

"I can't see them anymore Jack?" He whispered. His voice sounded as though it was close to breaking. "I have had the stars my whole life. Even as a baby on Gallifrey there were stars in my cot. Now I know they are out there but I can't see them. I can't see them." He closed his eyes and when Jack put a comforting hand on his shoulder he shrugged it off.

He opened his eyes after a moment and lowered his head and continued to stare out at the water, enjoying the mist on his face. "How much more are you going to take from me? How much more pain are you going to put me through until you just let me go? I can't run Jack, I can't see, I sleep more than I am awake. This isn't a life Jack. This isn't my life and it's not what I want. I know you love me. Let me go."

"No," Jack finally spoke up. "It is because I love you that I can't."

"You would rather see me suffer."

"I would rather see you live." Jack tried to comfort him again and was shrugged off a second time.

"I have all ready out lived my children Jack."

"So have I." Jack responded. "I know how that feels Doc. I had a son back in the 1800's. Just last year my great great granddaughter died at the age of 90."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be, we weren't close. The point is I know how it feels to out live your children. I am immortal, none of them are. I have all ready out lived everyone on this planet. All the friends I made when I came back from the Game Station are gone too. If you let us help you, I promise I will find a way for you to see those stars again and failing that I will bury you amongst them."

"I want to be burned." The Doctor replied. "It was tradition among my people to burn the body and give it back to the sky. I would be happy though to know I was going to be among the stars." This time when Jack placed an arm across his shoulder he allowed him to leave it there. Let's go back inside, there is banana banoffee pie in the fridge."

"When did you get that?" The Doctor asked with a smile.

"I sent Ianto a message while you slept earlier." Jack kissed him on the head. "And Martha's gone home for the night, so there is no one to stop you from eating it all."

"Well Jack, Allons-y," The Doctor grabbed Jack's arm and pointed. Jack chuckled, not having the heart to correct his direction, they set off towards the hub.

-DW-

The next morning he tried to remember the happiness in the Doctor's eyes as he devoured the whole pie as the three of them sat down in the autopsy room. The Doctor was up on the table and was crying out in pain.

Martha had arrived to the hub early and had explained to the Doctor that first she was going to remove his cast and then they were going to redo all the test they had run a month and a half ago. Then while the Doctor rested her and Luke were going to start to sort through the data. The Doctor had agreed willingly enough.

The removal of the cast went well and he willing submitted to his weight being taken. Martha was happy that he was back up a stone, due to being able to eat again. His hearts were still abnormal, his ears were fine and his eyes were like she expected due to his degree of vision loss. She took three vials of blood and then had him lay still for another CT, MRI and full body scan. Finally she informed him she was going to perform another spinal tap and that is when the crying began.

He was fine as Martha marked his back and confirmed that she had the right place with him. He was fine as she numbed his back but as she began to insert the needle to draw the spinal fluid he began to cry.

"Take it out," He whimpered, holding Jack's hands tighter.

"Just relax Doctor," Martha soothed.

"It hurts, stop it," The Doctor started to cry. "Why are you doing this, just stop it." He tried to move.

"Doctor sit still or you're going to hurt yourself," Martha said firmly. She held the needle in one hand and placed the other on his back to keep him in the position she needed. He cried out and tried to move again.

"Jack hold him." Martha said. Jack let go of the Doctor's hands.

"Sorry," He said as he placed his arms tightly against the Doctor's arms and placed his hands on the Doctor's back. He had the Doctor's head pressed against his stomach and he could feel the Doctor sobbing against it.

"I've got him go on Martha." Jack said.

Martha began to insert the needle deeper and the Doctor cried harder.

"Stop, please just stop." he begged them, breaking Jack's heart. Jack held him though. Whispering comforting words to the Doctor until Martha removed the needle. Once the needle was out, he lifted the Doctor's head to rest against his chest and soothed him by stroking his hair with one hand while he continued to hold him. The Doctor gripped Jack's shirt tightly and cried deep sobs against him.

"Why did it hurt so much this time?" Jack asked as Martha examined and then put a bandage on the Doctor's back. She held up the vial.

"I hope this will tell us Jack," she said. "Doctor make sure you rest and drink."

"Go away," he cried turning his face away from her. Martha sighed.

"Look after him Jack." She said. "And keep an eye out I wouldn't be surprised if he is on the verge of a seizure. If it is too bad again, let me know, otherwise just make sure he rest again after."

"I will take care of him," Jack responded.

"I know." Martha headed towards the TARDIS, on the way there though she stopped and asked Ianto to bring the Doctor a cup of tea and a banana. Hoping he would cheer up a little her and Luke set to work.


	20. Chapter 20

"What is that?" Luke asked Martha as he looked at the spinal fluid under the microscope. Martha came over and looked in the microscope.

"It looks like a worm," she responded. "That's impossible though. The TARDIS scans for that sort of thing and it would have been discovered long ago." Worried about contamination Martha began to prepare a new slide.

"I checked for parasites on the last test you ran on the the Doctor there were none." Luke said. "But the information you had was incomplete due the fact you were looking for diseases, not parasites."

"A parasite couldn't hide this long with out being found." Martha argued.

"From what mum says he travels all space and time. Parasites from earth maybe discovered quickly but what about one from another planet?" Luke suggested.

"The TARDIS is programmed to scan anyone who enters the TARDIS, she would have spotted it."

"What if it was dormant? Would the TARDIS still be able to detect it?" Luke asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Martha responded but this time she didn't sound so sure. She placed the newly prepared slide under the microscope. There were two on this slide. Martha stood up and hurried out of the office heading for the Autopsy room.

"They're in their room," Ianto called and she nodded her thanks as she headed there instead. Entering Jack's room she smiled a little. Jack was sitting up against the headboard with the Doctor laying on his side beside him. The Doctor's head was rested on Jack's thigh and Jack was stroking the Doctor's head softly.

"Come to torture me more?" the Doctor asked weakly as he stared at nothing.

Martha ignored him. "Could an alien parasite lay undetected in a brain without the TARDIS knowing."

"No," The Doctor said simply.

"Thank you," Martha turned to leave.

"Their eggs could though," The Doctor continued. "There is one parasite that lays its eggs into the water. If the water is ingested they are killed but if the water gets into a cut, they can travel throughout the body causing trouble. The eggs secrete a hormone that makes the body think they belong there and they can remain dormant for years."

"Can they be spread?"

He shook his head. "As long as they are dormant they are essentially harmless. It is when they are preparing to hatch and just after that the issues start. They secrete an enzyme that breaks down the living tissue for them to feed off of. Have the eggs hatched yet?"

"Yes," Martha responded. "Is there a treatment?"

"Yes, but it is going to make me very sick." He shuddered. "If they hadn't hatched it would be easier."

"What is it?"

"I should have the medicine aboard the TARDIS. It is a series of injections over a two week period. You will have to monitor me the whole time as they can result in kidney failure. The first few injections will kill the eggs and any ones that have hatched."

"What are the rest for," Jack asked finally joining into the conversation.

"The next set, help my body to break down and expel them. The final set help protect my body from getting them again."

"Will you be able to heal once they are gone?"

"I should start healing shortly after the final injection. It isn't going to be quick though Martha. The chemicals they excrete have messed with my body. I should be able to repair the vision part of my brain and restore mobility though. I am going to need physical therapy as I heal and after to ensure that my muscles respond correctly."

"Mickey can help you with that." Jack said. "He has hurt himself enough times around here I am sure he has the routine down by now."

"Thank you," The Doctor said sounding genuinely happy.

"Don't thank me, thank Luke. He is the one who was looking for parasites. I was still looking for diseases." Martha commented. The Doctor described a small yellow box and where it should be in the TARDIS medical bay. He laid with Jack for a little longer while Martha went to retrieve it.

"Why didn't I think of parasites? I mean it's obvious."

"Because your thick." Jack kissed him on the head as he grinned. "Will this help your heart?"

"Yeah, it should solve all my problems as long as it doesn't kill me first."

"Kill you," Jack responded aghast.

"Part of the reason it makes me so sick isn't it isn't compatible for a Time Lord. I am not going to lie Jack. I am going to be miserable these next two weeks, throwing up, high temperatures, sweating and I may have more seizures."

"But once these two weeks are over you will be back on your way to being healthy again and seeing those stars you love so much."

"You'll come with me right?" The Doctor asked sounded slightly confused.

"If you still want me too." Jack responded sadly.

"I will."

"Ask me again once you are healthy. I won't hold it against you if you don't want me to come."

"We're ready for you," Martha called down the stairs and Jack helped the Doctor to stand and took him down to the autopsy room. The Doctor gave Martha the same information on what to expect the next two weeks as she inserted an IV into his arm. He made Jack turn away as she inserted another catheter, so she could easily test his urine for kidney failure. She covered him with a blanket and helped him to get as comfortable as possible.

"Ready," Martha asked as she prepared the first injection.

"No," He replied. "The first two sets need to go into the blood stream but the third set need to go into a muscle."

"I know. Thankfully most of your medical supplies are in your language as well as English." Martha commented. She added the medicine to the drip.

He was fine for about the first half hour before he turned on his side and clenched his stomach. He tried to curl into himself as the medicine caused his stomach to cramp. Jack stroked his hair behind his ears and spoke softly to the Time Lord as he kept a bucket nearby. It was going to be a long two weeks.


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor had just suffered his second seizure that morning and his seventh since he had started the new medicine. Jack had his limp hand tightly in his hand and kissed it. He didn't think it was possible that the Doctor was going to be able to survive. The Doctor opened his eyes a crack and stared blankly.

"Hey," Jack tried to keep his voice calm but he could clearly hear the fear in it. "Doctor are you back with us."

"Jack," The Doctor whimpered. "It hurts."

"What hurts sweetheart?"

"Everything." He grimaced. "Please Jack, make the pain stop."

Martha stood by listening to every word as she prepared the next injection. The Doctor didn't notice her and she reflected sadly that he was more then likely completely blind at the moment. His kidney's were beginning to fail and his left heart was beating erratically again. She didn't know how long he could survive the abuse until his body gave out. Preparing another two syringes she finally stepped over to the Doctor.

He heard her approaching and swung his arm wildly, at her as she injected the first syringe into the canola.

"I don't want it anymore. Please Martha don't." He cried.

"I'm sorry Doctor," She said softly as she emptied a muscle relaxant and a sedative into the canola. She caressed his sweaty head as his eyes drifted closed again. She looked to Jack who was still holding his hand tightly. There eyes met briefly before turning away. Neither saying aloud what they were both thinking.

She tried to have faith he would survive but it was only day three.


	22. Chapter 22

By the end of day five he had suffered three more violent seizures and his left heart stopped. His right heart was beating erratically now though and Martha didn't dare try to start it again. His breathing was soft and shallow and she placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. His kidneys thankfully were still functioning though they still showed signs of failing. He didn't wake up as Martha and Jack sat vigilantly by his bed. The last of the first set of injections would be administered tomorrow and she hoped the next set weren't as toxic to him. Martha almost wished Luke hadn't discovered the parasite.

-DW-

He awoke to pain. He didn't dare open his eyes as he wondered how someone could still be alive and be in so much pain. He could feel a darkness at the back of his mind that was slowly spreading. He heard the slow beat of one heart in his chest. Beside him he could hear Jack breathing and feel Jack's hand in his. He couldn't move his fingers not that he really cared. He wanted to tell Jack it would be all right. The darkness crept forward. It comforted him and told him that it would take away his pain if he wanted. With a silent apology to his lover and companion, he welcomed it.

-DW-

"Oh no you don't," Martha exclaimed as the Doctor flat lined. "You are not giving up on us now." Martha quickly grabbed an ambu bag and handed it to Jack. Removing the oxygen mask he placed it over the Doctor's mouth and nose and started to assist Martha. Martha tried manual CPR first but when that wasn't working, she grabbed the defibrillator. "Jack stand back." She said as she hooked the electrodes to the Doctor's chest.

"Clear," Martha shocked him once and the heart monitor bleeped but fell again. The second shock restarted his hearts. The Doctor remained unresponsive and was refusing to breath on his own. Jack gave him a short breath and they watched the rise and fall of his chest. Martha went to the cabinet and came back with a ventilation tube.

"Come on Doctor breathe, I don't want to have to use this." Martha begged.

"Please sweetheart take a breath," Jack took the Doctor's hand in his. Jack breathed for the Doctor again but the Doctor remained unresponsive. Martha waited as long as she dared. Finally seeing no choice she turned to Jack.

"I am going to intubatate him." With skilled hands Martha inserted the scope to open his airways before inserting the tube. She listened to make sure the air was going into his lungs before removing the scope. The machine made a soft hissing noise as it breathed for the Doctor. Martha cleaned up and then sat quietly with Jack. The only sounds in the room were the steady beeps indicating the Doctor's hearts and the hissing of the respirator.

"He can't take anymore." Jack whispered finally breaking the silence. "Maybe we should have listened to him in the beginning and let him go. At least then I could pretend he was out there happy. Not laying here like this Martha. This is exactly what he didn't want and we made it happen."

Martha didn't respond as she hung her head, not wanting to watch the tears streaming down Jack's cheeks, her own dangerously close to the surface. She knew if she tried to talk she would lose it the composure she was desperately trying to maintain would be gone. She had her mouth closed tightly as the tears filled her eyes.

Day six came. Martha didn't know when she fell asleep but she awoke stiff in the chair beside the Doctor's bed. Jack was still asleep with his head down on the Doctor's bed. His hand on the Doctor's arm. Martha was shocked to see bruises beginning to develop on the Doctor's body. She carefully examined him and every where she touched brought new bruises. Martha went over to Jack and carefully moved him. She didn't want him accidentally bruising the Doctor more in his sleep.

There had been no changes during the night. The Doctor was still unresponsive and his heart beats still slow. She left the room to freshen up and grab two coffees. Mickey was in the kitchen when she entered.

"How is he?" Mickey asked.

"I don't think he is going to make it." She responded as the dam finally broke and she sobbed as Mickey held her. Mickey held her and let her cry until finally she pulled herself together. Setting about to her original goal, she made two cups of coffee and started back towards the autopsy room.

"Can I see him," Mickey asked.

"I think he would like that," she smiled as the two headed back down. Upon entering Mickey stopped in shock. The Doctor was laying on the bed what parts of his body that weren't bruised were pale. He had a tube taped to the side of his mouth and an IV in each arm. The sheet was folded down on his stomach and electrodes were hooked to his chest. Martha woke Jack tenderly and handed him one of the coffees.

"Is he in pain," Mickey asked.

"No, he is in a coma at the moment. It was probably the kindest thing his body could do for him." Jack said before taking a sip of the coffee. Martha prepared what she hoped would be the last of the first set of injections. Taking a deep breath she inserted the needle into the canola.

"That was the last one for the first set. Tomorrow we start the second set." She stated.

"Will he start to get better?" Mickey asked as Jack sat staring at the Doctor his chin rested on his hands.

"I don't know." Martha responded. "It depends on how is body reacts."

The Doctor crashed for the second time that night. Martha managed to bring him back again but it was harder this time. Still she wasn't going to give up. She would continue to revive him until she couldn't anymore.


	23. Chapter 23

On day seven Martha read about the second set of injections again before starting the Doctor on them. She wanted to see if there was anyway to postpone giving him them until his body had a chance to recover. Much to her dismay the instructions were clear they had to immediately follow the first set and they would not only help his body to expel the creatures but it would break down any unhatched egg. Failure to give them could result in the unhatched eggs hatching and starting from the beginning again. It was with much reluctance that Martha gave him the first of the set.

Within a few hours his fever spiked and his pale skin turned rosy. She retrieved a special blanket the Doctor had from the TARDIS that cooled the skin and placed it over him, up to his chest. She had wanted to try to ween him off the respirator but with his body under new distress she decided to put it off another day.

Day eight came and as the Doctor's body seemed to be reacting well to the new drugs, Martha turned off the respirator.

"Come on, Doctor," she said as he continued to fail to breathe.

"Sweetheart, breathe. Just one breath," Jack begged. Martha turned back on the machine. The gentle hiss filled the room and the Doctor's chest began to rise and fall steadily again.

"That's okay we'll try again later," Martha cooed comfortingly. Jack stood up and for the first time left the room into the hub. Martha ran through her daily examination of the Doctor, before getting comfortable to read. Since the Doctor had started the medication Jack hadn't left the Doctor's side for more than five minutes, so when an hour passed and Jack didn't return, Martha checked the Doctor one more time before going to find him. She found Jack up in his office sitting in front of a stack of paper work. His head was down and he didn't look up as Martha entered the office.

"Jack," She said softly.

"I can't just sit there and watch him die anymore," Jack whispered without lifting his head, Martha started to head around the desk to offer him comfort but Jack stopped her with a raise of his hand. "Please Martha I just want to be alone for a little while."

"I understand. You know where to find me." She turned and left him alone. Jack returned a few hours later to the Doctor's side. He had showered, changed and Ianto's urging ate. He felt a little better as he sat down in his chair beside the Doctor's bed.

"I'm sorry," Jack said to Martha as she looked up at him.

"You don't have to apologize Jack. You did nothing wrong." She shrugged it off.

Later that night she turned off the respirator again. They both spoke encouragingly to the Doctor and waited tensely for the Doctor to take a breathe. Finally sighing she reached over to turn back on the machine as Jack turned away. That is when she hear it. A small quick gasp. She turned to look at Jack.

"Was that you?" She asked.

"Was what me?" Jack responded curiously. She looked at the Doctor as she heard it again a smile crossed her face.

"You're going to have to do better then that." She advised him.

"Come on sweetheart you can do it," Jack encouraged him. The Doctor gasped again and then fell into a quick but shallow breathing pattern. She wasn't happy with his breathing but he was doing it. She left the tube in place in case it was needed again.

Jack awoke on day ten to a strangled noise. He raised his head to see the Doctor had his eyes open a crack and a look of panic was crossing his face. His left hand was rising to his throat while his right was feeling around the side of the bed. Jack gently took the Doctor's hand and the Doctor gripped it tightly in his own. He stopped the Doctor's left hand from grabbing the tube.

"Calm down. It's okay Doctor." Jack looked around for Martha surprised she wasn't in the room.

"Martha," He called out. "Martha get in here." He kept a hold of the Doctor's left hand and could feel the Doctor trying to pull away but Jack's heart broke when he realized he couldn't. Though the Doctor was awake it was clear he was not even close to being better yet. It would have been better for him to stay asleep. Martha rushed into the room.

"He's awake Martha," Jack exclaimed as she ran to the bed.

"I bet you want that tube out." She said softly as she stroked the Doctor's head. She carefully removed it as the Doctor coughed.

"Easy. There you go." Martha soothed him. "If you would have warned me you were waking up I would have taken it out sooner." Jack released his left hand but the Doctor's grip on his right didn't change.  
Jack kissed the Doctor on the head. The Doctor's eyes drifted closed again and his hand loosened on Jack's. Jack started to move his hand and the grip tightened again as the Doctor's eyes started to reopen.

-DW-

The Doctor felt as though he was choking. There was something in his throat. He opened his eyes and couldn't see. He could hear someone breathing to his right and hoping it was Jack, he tried to find that person as he reached to remove what he had determined to be a tube. His right hand finally met skin and he gripped the hand tightly as his left hand was stopped. Relief filled him as Jack began to talk to him.

The tube was finally removed by Martha. He wanted to remove the IV's but he was exhausted and didn't have the energy at the moment. He held on Jack as he felt himself slipping again. He didn't want to go so he held onto Jack. As sleep overtook him he felt Jack start to pull away. He awoke grabbing tightly again, not wanting to lose his anchor. He feared that if Jack let go he wouldn't be able to find his way back again.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Jack's words filled his ears as he felt Jack return the grip. He couldn't fight sleep any longer and let it over take him.


	24. Chapter 24

Now that the Doctor had awoken from his coma he whimpered and shivered in his fever. He continued to hold on to Jack's hand though the Doctor's fingers were bruised deep purple to black and it had to hurt him. His breathing was quick and shallow and the tube was replaced with an oxygen mask. The end of the coma also brought the return of the seizures and the Doctor had two within his first day of waking.

For the rest of the day, Martha wasn't sure whether the Doctor was ever really asleep or awake as he laid there not speaking and not moving with his eyes closed. The only time he opened them is to look at her with sad eyes when she ran though her daily examination. She smiled even though she knew he couldn't see it and explained what she was doing. The Doctor rolled his eyes and as soon as she finished closed them again.

Martha was happy he was just responding to stimulus. She hadn't expressed her worries with Jack but she had been terrified that if he ever did wake up he would be brain dead. She didn't know what she would have done then. The Doctor had a beautiful unique mind and the thought of being able to see him everyday but never hearing him speak to her again gave her nightmares.

On day eleven as she injected the medicine into the canola he opened his eyes and looked over at her again. The look of pain on his face made her wish he had stayed in the coma until it was over. On the plus side he only one more day of the second set of injections and then three for the third set and he would be done.

She also felt guilty. The end of the second set of injections also meant she was going to have to test him to find out if the parasites were gone. The only place she had ever been able to find them was in his spinal fluid and with his bruising and pain all ready high she knew it was going to feel like torture again. Also the third set of injections had to go into a muscle and though it was only three days worth of shots there were seven total she had to give him.

"Can't you give him something for the pain?" Jack asked as he tried his best to comfort the Doctor.

"No," Martha responded. "There is nothing I can safely give him at the moment. The medicine he is on now can cause a deadly reaction to most other medications out there. The only thing we can do right now is comfort him."

On day twelve she gave him the final injection in the morning. A few hours later she had Jack help her to turn him on his side and hold him. She carefully inserted the needle into his back for the third time as he cried and whimpered into Jack's arms. When they rolled him back over the look of hatred on the Doctor's face as he looked in her direction made her shudder. Martha went out of the room for a moment and came back with a small bowl of warm water and a soft cloth.

"Why don't you clean him up, why I go and test this," Martha said offering the bowl to Jack. She left the room leaving the two of them alone. Jack picked up the cloth and very tenderly began to bathe the Doctor. As he lifted the Doctor's arm, the Doctor groaned.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, just rest." Jack said tenderly as he washed between the Doctor's fingers. "You know if I ever get sick now, you can't complain about having to take care of me."

"I won't," the Doctor's hoarse voice spoke up for the first time in eight days and Jack was relieved to hear it.

"You won't?" Jack said doubtfully as he moved to the Doctor's chest.

"I'll come back." He told Jack.

"You'll leave me somewhere and come back when I am better?" The Doctor nodded with a small smile on his face. Jack kissed the Doctor on the head. "You wouldn't."

"Would." the Doctor chuckled and then started to cough. Jack offered the Doctor a drink of water and the Doctor shook his head. He waited until the Doctor was relaxed again before returning to cleaning him up.

-DW-

Martha sat in the science lab on the TARDIS preparing the slide. She moved with slow shaky hands. It was the moment of truth. This slide would determine whether or not the medicine had worked. Whether the last two weeks had been worth all the pain they had put the Doctor through. She took a deep breath as she placed the slide under the microscope.


	25. Chapter 25

Jack was sitting with the Doctor waiting impatiently for Martha to return with the test results. The Doctor had fought to stay awake as long as he could before drifting off again. Jack wondered how long it took to look under a microscope to find out if the parasites were still there, but he also knew that Martha would want to be through and make sure. That didn't stop him from worrying and the longer Martha was away the more he feared the worse. He lifted the Doctor's hand and kissed his bruised fingers softly. The Doctor's grip tightened and he lowered his hand back to the bed sighing softly.

Jack couldn't imagine the amount of pain the Doctor must be in. The red flush of his fever did nothing to hide the bruises that covered his body from the simplest touch. Jack heard a soft scratching sound and looked over to see the Doctor picking at the tape for the IV.

"I wouldn't do that." Jack commented. "The one you are trying to take out is keeping your kidney's from failing completely. It is the only drug we can safely give you. But if you want to add kidney failure to the list of problems go right ahead." The Doctor stopped picking at the tape and moved his hand upwards towards the oxygen mask instead. Jack stopped him.

"You're just going to be difficult now you are awake aren't you." Jack asked and the Time Lord smiled slightly opening his eyes a crack.

"Don't need it." The Doctor hissed between ragged breaths.

"Then breathe normal and we'll take it off."

"Hurts too much."

"I know sweetheart. It'll all be over soon." Jack soothed. Jack was hoping beyond hope that the test came back negative. He didn't want to think about what would happen if they weren't but it was all that filled his mind at the moment. He knew the Doctor wouldn't want to go through this again and he wasn't going to make him. In his office locked away in a safe was a sleeping pill that was so powerful it had been banned across the galaxy. One pill for most species and they slept for weeks, two pills they may never wake up. Three pills though relaxed the body to the point where every organ shut down, including the heart. Injected into the IV it would be quick and painless and the Doctor would just go to sleep.

Jack heard the door to the room open and up to see Martha coming in, her face was tear stained but she was smiling.

"They're gone." she exclaimed. "The medicine worked. They're gone." Jack whooped as he held up his arm and Martha rushed over to hug him. Jack released Martha and kissed the Doctor's lips.

"You hear that they're gone." Jack kissed the Doctor again.

-DW-

The Doctor opened his mouth to thank Martha, but his hoarse voice broke as he tried. He felt the tears in his eyes and realized what humans meant when they said happy tears. Here he was laying in a bed, blind, hot, and in pain but it was almost over. In three days time the final shot would be given and his body could start healing itself. He could run among the stars he missed so much with Jack by his side.

He hadn't changed his mind about Jack coming with him. If anything he loved Jack more for staying by his side these last two weeks and keeping him anchored to the world. Even as his vision had finally failed him, Jack's hand helped him to keep the connection to the world around him. He had felt as though he was alone for so long, even with his companions. Now even in the darkness that filled his day and night, Jack made him realize he didn't have to be.

-DW-

Over the next three days the Doctor's fever finally broke and he was sitting up in bed more, not just laying slumped across the pillows. The bruising was still prominent across his body but their touch was no longer bringing new ones to the surface. He seemed happy and though he was still having daily seizures he also seemed less tired. His breathing had also evened out more and Martha had removed the oxygen mask.

Martha entered the autopsy room with the final injection. "This is it," she told the Doctor as she moved the blanket and swabbed a place on his thigh. The Doctor winced at her touch and she tried to ignore it. She knew that he was beginning to associate her with pain and was thankful this was the last injection she would have to give him for awhile. She would be optimistic and hope she never had to hurt him again but she was his Doctor and if he ever got hurt, Jack would bring him to Martha.

"Sharp scratch," She warned him and watched as he gripped Jack's hand tighter. She injected the syringe into his leg. "All done." She exclaimed happily. "We'll give your body a few days to recover and then we'll start you on physical therapy."

The Doctor groaned at her. "Do I have to?"

"Your muscles haven't been responding for months now and you have been confined to this bed for two weeks. If you want to run again, in this body you need it."

"I'll be there with you every step of the way." Jack promised.

"Actually Jack can I speak to you a moment about that." Martha said. Jack kissed the Doctor.

"I'll be just outside the room if you need me. Will you be okay for a few minutes?" Jack asked tenderly.

"Don't leave me," The Doctor whined holding Jack's hand tighter.

"Just call for me if you need me and I will be back before you know it." Jack tried to pull his hand lose and when he finally managed the look of desperation as he reached for Jack's hand again made Martha feel guilty.

"Stay with him," She said. "We'll talk later."

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

"Yes."

He took the Doctor's hand in his again as the Doctor began to panic. "I'm right here sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere I promise." Jack caressed the Doctor's head as he breathed quickly. His breathing evened out again as he held tightly to Jack's hand with both of his. In his world of darkness he had found his light.


	26. Chapter 26

It had been a week since the final injection had been given to him. The medicine was finally almost out of his system and he was starting to feel better. That is when he wasn't being stretched all directions. Martha had allowed him two days of rest before she had started physical therapy on his legs. Jack wasn't allowed in the room during the sessions. Martha had all ready become associated to his pain and she explained she didn't want Jack associated any more then he all ready was. It was a little slow going because they had to guide him through the stretches rather then showing him. His muscles were responding well though and he was sitting better and walking slowly on his own. He was still a ways off from running but at least he was on his feet.

His eyes though were a different story. He was still completely blind. Even now sitting in the bath soaking his tired muscles he knew there must be a light on because he could hear Jack in the next room turning pages of what he thought was a report. Try as he may though all he saw was the darkness in front of him. He sighed loudly.

"Need something?" Jack asked concerned.

"No," the Doctor responded and he heard Jack flipping the paper again. Report he decided. He sat up and leaned forward, carefully feeling until he found the plug. He pulled it and heard the water start down the drain.

"Getting out?" He heard Jack coming over.

"I can do it." He said firmly. The foot steps stopped. He grabbed the edge of the tub and helped push himself to his feet before stepping out. It took a moment of thought but he managed to find his towel. After drying off he wrapped it around his waist before walking slowly forward. He bumped his leg on something. Turning slightly he slammed his other knee hard into the object.

"Damn it," he seethed. He kicked the offending object. Now his knee and foot were sore. Putting his hands out he figured out it was the cupboard with the sink. Turning slightly he managed to find the door. Stumbling and bumping into things he navigated his way to the bed. Frustrated he didn't bother to move anything as he flopped down on it. Reaching up he grabbed a pillow and placed it firmly over his face using his arms to hold it tightly over his mouth and nose.

-DW-

Jack sat as his small desk as watched the Doctor stumble out of the bathroom and to the bed. He wanted to help him but he was also happy the Doctor was trying to be independent again. The pillow over the face was a little unsettling though. He waited to see if the Time Lord was trying to suffocate himself. Finally the pillow was thrown aside. The Doctor laid with his back half on the bed and his feet on the floor. His eyes were closed.

"That doesn't look comfortable," Jack commented.

"It's not." The Doctor responded not trying to move. Jack sat down on the bed beside him and rubbed his thigh.

"It'll be all right." Jack stated comfortingly.

"When Jack, when will it be all right. I let you put me through hell so that I can have my life back."

"Let us." Jack scoffed. "You fought, and begged me to kill you every step of the way."

"Look in my jacket in the inside pocket." The Doctor said not looking towards Jack. Jack stood and went over to the wardrobe. He reached into the jacket's pockets and pulled out a variety of objects. But he clearly saw the one the Doctor meant. It was a small vial with aspirin in it.

"You've had this the whole time?" Jack asked feeling his stomach flip. The Doctor nodded.

"Is there more?" Jack asked trying to keep his voice calm when he was screaming inside.

"Yes," the Doctor admitted.

"Where?"

"I'm not saying."

"And I am not standing by and letting you commit suicide." Jack's voice finally broke in his anger.

"I don't plan to." The Doctor responded just as angrily.

"That's what you said before but you still carried around the aspirin."

"Because I didn't want you to have to make the choice. I was going to kill myself so you didn't have to." The Doctor snapped.

"If we hadn't found the parasites how much longer were you planning on waiting."

"Jack."

"How long," Jack yelled.

"That night." The Doctor admitted quietly. Jack grabbed the Doctor's jacket in his hand and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

-DW-

Another week passed. Though Jack slept by him every night things were still tense between the two of them. He could feel Jack next to him by except for the chaste kiss and short hug, Jack made no move to touch him. He knew Jack wanted him to apologize, he also knew Jack knew he wouldn't. He heard Jack snoring lightly beside him and got up out of bed. He didn't bother with a light, it didn't matter anyways. Even though the lesions on his brain were shrinking and his motor skills were coming back he was still blind.

He made his way out of the hub and into the kitchen. It was as he crossed the hub that he realized that little pin pricks of light were piercing the darkness. Smiling he counted the steps as he made his way across the hub. Instead of going to the kitchen, he instead went to the TARDIS. She hummed happily at him as he entered. He had her do a full scan and confirmed that he wasn't imaging things, his eyesight was coming back.

Over the next few days he was beginning to make out objects. Though they were hazy and blurry he could see the outline. The TARDIS was a big blue shape, Jack a hazy mix of blue and pink. He didn't tell the others yet. He wanted to surprise Jack once he could see better. He wasn't going to say an apology but he would find a way to show Jack just how sorry he was that he had hurt him.


	27. Chapter 27

Jack didn't see the Doctor awake over the next couple of days. He was asleep by the time Jack went to bed and was gone when he woke up in the morning. Jack figured he was hiding on the TARDIS but when he went into the console room to find him the Doctor wasn't there and the TARDIS refused to tell him where the Doctor was hiding. He spent his days working and he removed the chains that he had placed on the TARDIS. He placed a new one on the handbrake though. He didn't think the Time Lord would try to leave while he was still blind but he couldn't be sure.

He wanted to apologize to the Doctor. The Doctor had been in unimaginable pain and had almost died on them several times. He realized he had no right to be angry the Doctor wanted to end it on his terms when there was no hope. But it tore him up inside to realize how close he had been to losing the man he loved. He had come close to going through all the Doctor's pockets when he realized he still carried a vial of aspirin. But he didn't do it. Instead he kept the coat up in his office.

Jack moaned in his sleep and tried to roll over as something warm covered his groin. Firm hands held him in place and the pleasure intensified. He opened his eyes to see brown eyes watching him. He groaned again.

"Doctor," he tried to warn him as he was quickly brought to climax. The Doctor lifted his head and smiled at Jack.

"Now that you're awake. I've made breakfast." He said happily. Jack noticed the Doctor's glasses were on his nose again and he grabbed the Doctor's arm as he tried to scramble off the bed.

"Can you see?" he asked the Doctor.

"Yep. My vision started to come back a couple of days ago. Today has been the first day where my thinking glasses help." He grinned broadly.

"You didn't tell us."

"I was trying to find a way to show you. In fact come on." He grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him out of their room. Jack was led naked across the hub and into the TARDIS. Once in the corridors the Doctor turned and opened a door. Inside was a bedroom Jack had never seen before.

"It's ours." The Doctor told him. "For when you travel with me. I may not be as fast as I was. I will probably also need the glasses for the rest of the time I am in this body but I am alive. Thanks to you and Martha I am alive. Now get dressed and meet me in the console room."

He waited impatiently for Jack to dress and return to him. Jack watched the Doctor dancing around the controls pressing buttons and setting levers. He noticed Jack in the doorway and smiled at him. Jack came up and while the Doctor watched eagerly he removed the chain on the handbrake.

The Doctor stroked the TARDIS controls before he pulled the lever to send them into the the vortex.

"So where are we going this time." Jack asked coming up behind the Doctor and wrapping his arms around him. He rested his chin on the Doctor's shoulder as he looked at the monitor.

"Calderon Beta and if we look up at exactly 12:01 we will see more stars then anywhere else in the entire universe. I want to see the stars again Jack and there is no one else I can think of that I want to see them with."

* * *

_End_


End file.
